JAN  18  1918 


BS    2615    .G64    1915 
Gordon,    S.    D.    1859-1936. 
Quiet   talks   on  John's   Gospe 


QUIET  TALKS  ON  JOHN'S 
GOSPEL 


r  /. 


QUIET  TALKS 

ON 

John' s  Gospel 


S.  D,   GORDON 


Ne-nv     York        Chicago        Toronto 

Fleming    H,    Revell    Company 

London  and  Edinburgh 


Copyright,  1915.^7 
FLEMING  H.  REVELL  COMPANY 


New  York  :  158  Fifth  Avenue 
Chicago:  17  North  Wabash  Ave. 
Toronto:  25  Richmond  Street,  W. 
London  :  21  Paternoster  Square 
Edinburgh  :     100    Princes    Street 


PREFACE 

Everything  depends  on  getting  Jesus  placed. 
That  lies  at  the  root  of  all — liviDg,  serving, 
preaching,  teaching.  John  had  Jesus  placed. 
He  had  Him  up  in  His  own  place.  This  settles 
everything  else.  Then  one  gets  himself  placed, 
too,  up  on  a  level  where  the  air  is  clear  and 
bracing,  the  sun  warm,  and  the  outlook  both 
steadying  and  stimulating.  Get  the  centre  fixed 
and  things  quickly  adjust  themselves  about  it  to 
your  eyes. 

It  will  be  seen  very  quickly  that  this  little 
book  makes  no  pretension  to  being  a  commentary 
on,  or  an  exposition  of,  John's  Gospel.  That  is 
left  to  the  scholarly  folk  who  eat  their  meals  in 
the  sacred  classical  languages  of  the  past.  It  is 
simply  a  homely  attempt  to  let  out  a  little  of 
what  has  been  sifting  in  these  years  past  of  this 
wondrous  miniature  Bible  from  John's  pen. 

The  proportions  of  this  homely  little  messenger 
of  paper  and  type  may  seem  a  little  odd  at  first. 
The  longest  chapter  is  devoted  to  only  the  open- 
ing eighteen  verses  of  John,  the  prologue.  While 
the  whole  of  the  first  twelve  chapters  of  John, 
excepting  that  prologue,  is  brought  into  one 
smaller  chapter.  It  wasn't  planned  so,  though  I 
felt  it  coming  as  the  wondrous  mood  of  this  book 
5 


6  Preface 

came  down  over  me.     I  think  it  must  be  the 
effect  of  the  atmosphere  of  John's  book. 

Sometimes  John  packs  so  much  in  so  little 
ipace,  and  again  he  goes  so  particularly  into  the 
details  of  some  one  incident.  The  prologue  is  a 
miniature  Bible.  The  whole  Bible  story  is  there 
in  its  cream.  And  on  the  other  hand  John 
spends  five  chapters  (xiii.-xvii.),  almost  a  fifth 
of  the  whole,  on  a  single  evening.  He  devotes 
seven  chapters  (xiii.-xix.),  almost  a  third  of  all, 
on  the  events  of  twenty- four  hours.  John  is 
controlled  not  by  mere  proportion  of  space  or 
quantity,  but  by  the  finer  proportions  of  thought 
and  quality. 

It  has  been  difficult  to  hold  these  homely  talks 
down  to  the  limit  of  space  they  take  here.  So 
many  veins  of  gold  in  this  mine,  showing  clearly 
large  nuggets  of  pure  ore,  lie  just  at  hand  un- 
touched in  this  little  mining  venture.  But  it 
seemed  clearly  best  to  get  the  one  clear  grasp  of 
the  whole.  That  helps  so  much.  But  there'll  be 
strong  temptation  to  get  one's  pick  and  spade 
and  go  at  this  gold  mine  again. 

But  now  these  things  are  written  that  we  com- 
mon folk  may  understand  a  bit  better,  and  in  a 
warm  way,  that  Jesus  was  God  on  a  wooing  er- 
rand to  the  earth  ;  and  that  we  may  join  the  blest 
company  of  the  won  ones,  and  become  co-wooers 
with  God  of  the  others. 

aD.  G. 


CONTENTS 

I.  John's  Story  ....        9 

II.  The  Wooing  Lover       .        .        .41 

Who  it  was  that  came. 

III.  The  Lover  Wooing       .        .        .129 

A  group  of  pictures  illustrating  how  the 
wooing  was  done  and  how  the  Lover 
was  received. 

IV.  Closer  Wooing      .        .        .        -     193 

An  evening  with  opening  hearts  :  the 
story  of  a  supper  and  a  walk  in  the 
moonlight  and  the  shadows. 

V.  The  Greatest  Wooing  .        .        .     219 

A  night  and  a  day  with  hardening  hearts  : 
the  story  of  tender  passion  and  of  a  ter- 
rible tragedy. 


231 


VL      An  Appointed  Tryst  Unexpectedly 

Kept 

A  day  of  startling  joyous  surprises. 

VII     Another   Tryst     ....     243 

A  story  of  fishing,  of  guests  at  break- 
fast, and  of  a  walk  and  talk  by  the  edge 
of  blue  Galilee. 


I 

JOHN'S  STORY 


"  I  fled  Him,  down  the  nights  and  down  the  days ; 
I  fled  Him,  down  the  arches  of  the  years ; 
I  fled  Him  down  the  labyrinthine  ways 

Of  my  own  mind  ;  and  in  the  midst  of  tears 
I  hid  from  Him,  and  under  running  laughter. 
Up  vistaed  hopes,  I  sped  ; 
And  shot,  precipitated, 
Adown  Titanic  glooms  of  chasmed  fears, 

From  those  strong  Feet  that  followed,  followed 

after." 
— Francis  Thompson,  in  "  The  Hound  of  Heaven.^ 


"  These  are  written  that  ye  may  believe  that  Jesus 
is  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  God  ;  and  that  believing  ye 
may  have  life  in  his  name." — ^ohn  xx.  31. 


JOHN'S  STORY 

The  Heart-strings  of  God. 

There's  a  tense  tugging  at  the  heart  of  God. 
The  heart-strings  of  God  are  tight,  as  tight  as 
tight  can  be.  For  there's  a  tender  heart  that's 
easily  tugged  at  one  end,  and  an  insistent  tugging 
at  the  other.  The  tugging  never  ceases.  The 
strings  never  slack.  They  give  no  signs  of  easing 
or  getting  loose. 

It's  the  tug  of  man's  sore  need  at  the  down-end, 
the  man-end,  of  the  strings.  And  it's  the  sore 
tug  of  grief  over  the  way  things  are  going  on 
down  here  with  men,  at  the  other  end,  the  up- 
end, the  heart-end,  of  the  strings.  It's  the  tense 
pull-up  of  a  love  that  grows  stronger  with  the 
growth  of  man's  misunderstanding. 

But  the  heart-strings  never  snap.  The  heart 
itself  breaks  under  the  tension  of  love  and  grief, 
grieved  and  grieving  love.  But  the  strings  only 
strengthen  and  tighten  under  the  strain  of  use. 

Those  heart-strings  are  a  bit  of  the  heart  they're 
tied  to,  an  inner  bit,  aye  the  innermost  bit,  the 
inner  heart  of  the  heart.  They  are  the  bit  pulled, 
and  pulled  more,  and  pulled  harder,  till  the 
strings  grew.  Man  was  born  in  the  warm  heart 
of  God.  Was  there  ever  such  a  womb  !  Was 
there  ever  such  another  horning,  homing  place  ! 
II 


12        Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

It  was  man's  going  away  that  stretched  the 
heart  out  till  the  strings  grew.  The  tragedy  of 
sin  revealed  the  toughness  and  tenderness  of  love. 
For  that  heart  never  let  go  of  the  man  whom  it 
horned.  Man  tried  to  pull  away,  poor  thing.  In 
his  foolish  misunderstanding  and  heady  wilful- 
ness he  tried  to  cut  loose.  If  he  had  known  God 
better  he  would  never  have  tried  that.  He'd 
never  have  started  away;  and  he'd  never  have 
tried  to  get  away. 

For  love  never  faileth.  A  heart — the  real 
thing  of  a  heart,  that  is,  God's  heart — never  lets 
go.  It  breaks  ;  but  let  go  ?  not  once  :  never  yet. 
The  breaking  only  loosens  the  red  that  glues  fast 
with  a  tighter  hold  than  ever.  The  fibre  of  the 
heart— God's  heart — is  made  of  too  strong  stuff  to 
loosen  or  wear  out  or  snap.  Love  never  faileth. 
It  can't ;  because  it's  love. 

Now  all  this  explains  Jesus.  It  was  man's  pull 
on  these  heart-strings  that  brought  Him  down. 
The  pull  was  so  strong  and  steady.  It  grew 
tenser  and  more  insistent.  And  straight  down 
He  came  by  the  shortest  way,  the  way  of  those 
same  heart-strings.  For  the  heart- striugs  of  God 
are  the  shortest  distance  between  two  given 
points,  the  point  of  God's  giving,  going  love,  and 
the  point  of  man's  sore  need,  given  a  sharper- 
pointed  end  by  its  very  soreness. 

It  is  a  sort  of  blind  pull,  this  pull  of  man  on 
the  heart  of  God  ;  a  confused,  unconscious,  half- 
conscious,  dust-blinded,  slippery-road  sort  of 
pulling,  but  one  whose  tight  grip  never  slacks. 
Man    needs  God,   but  does  not  know  it.     He 


John's  Story  13 

knows  he  needs  something.  He  feels  that  keenly. 
But  he  does  not  know  that  it's  God  whom  he 
needs,  with  a  very  few  rare  exceptions.  It  doesn't 
seem  to  have  entered  his  head  that  he'll  never 
get  out  of  his  tight  corner  till  God  gets  him  out. 

Down  the  street  of  life  he  goes,  eyes  blinded  by 
the  thick  dust,  ears  deafened  by  the  cries  of  the 
crowd,  by  the  noise  of  the  street  without,  and  the 
noise  of  passions  and  fevered  ambitions  within, 
heart  a- wearied  by  the  confusion  of  it  all,  groping, 
stumbling,  jostled  and  jostling,  hitting  this  way 
and  that,  with  the  fever  high  in  his  blood,  and 
his  feet  aching  and  bleeding ;  sometimes  the 
polish  of  culture  on  the  surface  ;  sometimes  rags 
and  dirt ;  but  underneath  the  same  thing. 

Yet  under  all  there's  a  vague  but  very  real 
feeling  of  that  unceasing  pull  upward  upon  His 
heart-strings.  But  though  blind  and  vague  and 
confused  that  tugging  is  never  the  less  tense,  but 
ever  more,  and  then  yet  more. 

Jesus  was  God  answering  the  tug  of  man's  need 
on  His  heart-strings.  And  so  naturally  there  was 
an  answering  feel  in  man's  heart.  Man  felt  the 
answer  a-coming.  There  was  a  great  stir  in  the 
spirit-currents  of  earth  when  Jesus  came.  A 
thrill  of  expectancy  ran  through  the  world, 
Eoman,  Greek,  Barbarian,  far  and  wide,  as  Jesus 
drew  near.  The  book-makers  of  that  time  all 
speak  of  it.  It  was  the  vibration  of  those  same 
heart-strings  connecting  man  and  God. 

The  move  at  God's  end  was  felt  at  man's.  The 
coming  down  along  the  highway  of  the  strings 
thrilled  and  stirred  and  awed  the  hearts  into 


14        Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

which  those  strings  led,  and  where  they  were  so 
tightly  knotted.  The  earth- currents  spread  the 
news.  Man  heard  ;  he  felt ;  he  knew  :  vaguely, 
blindly,  wearily,  yet  very  really  he  heard  and 
felt  and  recognized  that  help,  a  Friend,  some 
One,  was  nearing. 

And  then  when  Jesus  walked  among  men  how 
He  did  pull  upon  their  hearts  !  So  quietly  He 
went  about.  So  sympathetically  He  looked  and 
listened.  So  warm  was  the  human  touch  of  His 
hand.  So  strong  was  the  lift  of  His  arm  to  ease 
their  load.  So  potent  was  the  spell  of  His  unfail- 
ing power  to  give  relief.  How  He  did  pull ! 
And  how  men  did  answer  to  that  pull !  Unre- 
sistingly, eagerly,  as  weary  child  in  mother's 
arms  at  close  of  day,  they  came  crowding  to 
Him. 

The  Fourfold  Message. 

It  is  fascinating  to  find  one  book  in  this  old 
Book  of  God  given  up  wholly  to  telling  of  this, 
John's  Gospel.  Of  course  the  whole  of  the  Book 
is  really  given  up  to  it,  when  one  gels  the  whole 
simple  view  of  it  at  one  glance.  But  so  many  of 
us  don't  get  that  whole  simple  glance. 
.  So  to  make  it  easier  for  us  simple  common  folk, 
and  to  make  sure  of  our  getting  it,  there  is  one 
little  book,  hardly  big  enough  to  call  a  book, 
just  a  few  pages  devoted  wholly  to  letting  us  see 
this  one  thing.  You  can  see  the  whole  of  the  sun 
in  a  single  drop  of  water.  You  can  see  the  whole 
of  the  Book  of  God  in  this  one  little  book  that 
John  wrote. 


John's  Story  15 

John's  Gospel  is  like  the  small  tracing  of  the 
artist's  pen  on  the  lower  corner  of  an  etching, 
the  rema.rque,  put  there  as  a  signature,  the 
artist's  personal  mark  that  the  picture  is  gen- 
uine, the  real  thing.  The  whole  consummate 
skill  of  the  artist  is  revealed  at  a  glance  in  the 
simple  outline-tracing  on  the  margin.  The  whole 
of  the  God-story  in  the  larger  picture  of  the  whole 
Book  is  given  in  few  simple  clear  lines  in  this 
exquisite  little  thing  commonly  called  John's 
Gospel. 

It  is  striking  to  make  the  discovery  that  John's 
little  book  has  a  distinctive  message  as  a  book.  It 
is  full  of  messages,  of  course.  But  I  mean  that 
there  is  a  distinct  story  told  by  the  book  as  a 
whole,  by  the  very  way  it  is  put  together.  It  is 
told  by  the  very  sort  of  language  used,  the  words 
chosen  as  the  leading  words  of  the  book.  It  is 
told  by  the  picture  that  clearly  fills  John's  eye  as 
he  writes,  and  by  the  very  spirit  that  floods  the 
pages  as  a  soft  light,  and  that  breaks  out  of  them 
as  the  subtle  fragrance  of  locust  blossoms  in  the 
spring. 

The  fragrance  of  flowers  cannot  be  analyzed  : 
it  must  be  smelled  and  felt.  That's  the  only  way 
you'll  ever  know  it.  The  fine  scholarly  analyses 
of  John  are  helpful.  But  there's  the  subtler 
something  that  cannot  be  diagramed  or  analyzed 
or  synthesized.  It  eludes  the  razor-edged  knife, 
and  the  keenly  critical  survey.  It  is  recognized 
only  by  one's  spirit,  and  then  only  when  the  spirit 
is  warm,  and  in  tune  with  John's. 

Of  course  each  of  the  Gospel  stories  has  a  m^- 


l6        Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

sage  of  its  own,  quite  apart  from  the  group  of 
facts  common  to  them  all.  And  these  four  mes- 
sages together  give  us  the  fuller  distinctive  mes- 
sage of  these  four  little  books.  And  a  very- 
winsome  message  it  is,  too,  that  takes  hold  of 
one's  heart,  and  takes  a  warm  strong  hold  at 
that. 

Matthew  tells  us  that  Jesus  is  a  Ki7ig.  For  a 
great  purpose  He  chose  to  live  as  a  peasant,  as 
one  of  the  common  folks.  But  He  was  of  the 
blood  royal.  He  has  the  long  unbroken  kingly 
lineage.  He  showed  kingly  power  in  His  actions, 
kingly  wisdom  in  His  teachings,  and  the  fine 
kingly  spirit  in  His  gracious  kindliness  of  touch. 
He  was  gladly  accepted  and  served  as  King  by 
those  who  understood  Him  best.  He  was  ac- 
knowledged as  King  by  the  Eoman  Governor  ; 
and  He  died  as  a  King,  and  as  a  King  was  laid 
in  a  newly  hewn  tomb. 

JfarA;  adds  a  fine  touch  to  this  picture,  a  warm 
touch  with  colour  in  it, — this  King  of  ours  is  a 
serving  King.  This  comes  not  only  with  a  warm 
feel,  but  it  comes  as  a  distinct  surprise.  Men's 
kings  are  served  kings.  There  have  been  kings, 
and  are,  who  rendered  their  people  a  fine  high 
service,  and  do.  But  the  overpowering  impres- 
sion given  the  common  crowd  watching  on  the 
street  is  that  kings  are  superior  beings,  to  be 
waited  upon,  humbly  bowed  to,  and  implicitly 
obeyed.     They  are  to  be  served. 

But  Mark's  picture  shows  us  a  King  whose 
passion  is  to  serve.  The  service  which  He 
draws  out  of  His  followers  is  drawn  out  by  His 


John's  Story  ij 

warm  serviug  spirit  towards  us.  The  words  on 
the  royal  coat-of-arms  are,  "Not  to  be  niiu- 
istered  unto,  but  to  miuister."  And  in  the  first 
meaning  of  the  words  He  Himself  used  that  means 
"  not  to  be  served  but  to  serve.'' ^  In  Mark  the  air 
is  tense  with  rapid  action.  The  quick  executive 
movement  of  a  capable  servant  is  felt  in  the  terse 
words  short  sentences  and  swift  action  of  the 
story. 

There's  yet  warmer  colouring  in  LuJce^s  picture. 
This  serving  King  is  nearest  of  kin  to  us  !  He  is 
not  only  of  the  blood  royal,  but  of  the  blood 
human.  He  is  bone  of  our  bone,  blood  of  our 
blood,  and  life  of  our  common  life.  He  came  to 
us  through  a  rare  union  of  God's  power  with 
human  consent  and  human  function,  never 
known  before  nor  repeated  since.  This  is  the 
bit  that  Luke  adds  to  the  composite  message  of 
these  four  little  God-story  books. 

Here  Jesus  has  a  tenderness  of  human  sym- 
pathy with  us  men,  for  He  and  we  are  brothers. 
There's  an  outlook  as  broad  as  the  race.  No 
national  boundaries  limit  its  reach.  No  sectional 
prejudices  warp  or  shut  Him  off  from  sympathetic 
touch  with  any.  He  shares  our  common  life. 
He  knows  our  human  temptations,  and  knows 
them  with  a  reality  that  is  painful,  and  with  an 
intensity  that  wets  His  brow  and  shuts  His  jaw 
hard. 

This  king  who  serves  is  a  man.  He  can  be  a 
king  of  men  for  He  is  a  man.  He  has  the  first 
qualification.  I  might  use  an  old-fashioned  word 
in  the  first  old-time  meaning, — He  is  a  fellow,  one 


l8        Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

who  shares  the  bed  and  bread  of  our  common  ex- 
perience. And  so  He  is  Icin  to  us,  both  in  lineage 
and  in  experience,  in  blood  and  in  spirit. 

And  John's  share  in  this  partnership  message 
adds  a  simple  bold  touch  of  colouring  that  makes 
the  picture  a  masterpiece,  the  masterpiece.  This 
King  who  serves,  and  is  nearest  of  kin  to  us,  is 
also  nearest  of  kin  to  God.  He  is  not  only  of  the 
blood  royal,  and  the  blood  human,  but  of  the 
blood  divine.  He  was  with  God  before  calendars 
came  into  use.  He  was  the  God  of  that  creative 
Genesis  week.  He  came  on  an  errand  down  to 
the  earth,  and  when  the  errand  was  done,  and 
well  done.  He  went  back  home,  bearing  on  His 
person  the  marks  of  His  fidelity  to  the  Father's 
errand.    This  is  John's  bit  of  rich  high  colouring. 

And  so  we  are  nearest  of  Jem  to  God  through  Jesus. 
Kinship  is  always  a  matter  of  blood.  There  is  a 
double  kinship,  through  the  blood  of  inherit- 
ance, and  the  blood  of  sacrifice.  Our  inlierited 
kinship  of  blood  has  been  lost.  But  His  blood 
of  sacrifice  has  made  a  new  kinship.  We  had 
broken  the  entail  of  our  inheritance  clean  beyond 
mending.  We  were  outcasts  by  our  own  act. 
But  He  cast  in  His  lot  with  us,  and  so  drew  us 
back  and  up  and  in.  He  made  a  new  entail 
through  His  blood.  And  that  new  entail  is  as 
unbreakable  as  the  old  broken  one  is  uumendable. 
And  so  we  come  into  the  family  of  a  King.  And 
we  are  kingliest  in  character  when  we  are 
Christliest  in  spirit  and  action.  We  are  most 
like  the  King  when  we  are  helping  others. 

Our  true  motto,  in  our  relation  ^  "^ur  fellows, 


John's  Story  19 

is:  "I  am  amoug  you  as  lie  that  serveth." 
Towel  and  basiu,  bended  knee  and  comforted 
pilgrim-feet  and  refreshed  spirit, — this  is  our 
family  crest.  We're  kin  to  all  the  race  through 
Jesus.  Black  skin  and  white,  yellow  and  brown  ; 
round  heads  and  long,  slanting  eyes  and  oval,  in 
slum  alley  and  palatial  home,  below  the  equator 
and  above  it, — all  are  our  kinsmen. 

We  are  reaching  highest  when  we  are  stooping 
lowest  to  help  some  one  up.  We're  nearest  like 
God  in  character  when  we're  getting  nearest  in 
touch  to  those  needing  help.  We  are  kingliest 
and  Godliest  and  Christliest  when  we're  controlled 
by  men's  needs,  but  always  under  the  higher  con- 
trol of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

This  is  the  composite  message  of  the  four 
Gospels ;  and  this  is  its  practical  human  out- 
working. 

God  on  a  Wooing  Errand. 

But  it's  the  other  John  message  we  are  espe- 
cially after  just  now.  There's  another  message 
of  John's  book  quite  distinct  from  this,  though 
naturally  allied  with  it.  And  this  other  is  the 
crowding  message  of  his  book.  Its  thought 
crowds  in  upon  you  till  every  other  is  crowded 
into  second  place.  And  as  it  gets  hold  of  you  it 
crowds  your  mind  and  heart  and  life  till  every 
other  is  either  crowded  out,  or  crowded  to  a 
lower  place ;  out^  if  it  jars  ;  loicer  place,  if  it 
agrees,  for  every  agreeing  bit  yields  to  the  lead 
of  this  tremendous  message. 

But  one  must  get  hold  of  John  before  John's 


20        Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

message  gets  hold  of  him.  John  was  swayed  by  a 
passion.  It  was  a  fiery  passion  flaming  through 
all  his  life.  It  burned  through  him  as  the  fierce 
forest  fire  burns  through  the  underbrush.  Every 
base  thing  was  eaten  up  by  its  flame.  Every  less 
worthy  thing  came  under  its  heat.  It  melted  and 
mellowed  and  moulded  his  whole  being. 

It  was  the  Jesus-passion.  It  was  kindled  that 
memorable  afternoon  early  in  his  life  down  in 
the  Jordan  bottoms.'  John's  namesake,  the 
Herald,  applied  the  kindling  match.  From  then 
on  the  flames  never  flickered  nor  burned  low. 
They  increased  steadily,  and  they  increased  in 
purity,  until  his  whole  life  was  under  their  holy 
heat. 

John  didn't  always  understand  his  Master. 
Sometimes  he  misunderstood.  But  he  never 
failed  in  his  trust  of  Him,  nor  in  his  fidelity  to 
Him.  Of  the  chosen  inner  circle  John  was  the 
one  who  remained  true  through  the  sorest  test, 
that  betrayal-night  test.  Judas  betrayed  ;  Peter 
denied  ;  the  nine  fled  in  terror  down  the  road  to 
save  their  cowardly  lives;  John  went  in  ^^with 
Jesus."  That  fiery  nature  of  his,  that  early  won 
for  him  the  stormy  name  ''son  of  thunder," 
came  completely  under  the  sway  of  this  holier 
tenderer  stronger  flame,  and  burned  itself  out  in 
a  passion  of  love  for  Jesus. 

The  Jesus-passion  swayed  John  completely. 
This  explains  the  man,  and  his  career.  It  ex- 
plains this  little  book  of  his  ripe  old  age.  And 
only  this  can.  One  must  read  the  book  through 
»Johni.  35-42. 


John's  Story  21 

John's  own  heart,  then  he  begins  to  understand 
it.  This  Jesus-passioned  man  is  the  key  to  the 
book,  the  human  key. 

And  the  distinctive  message  of  the  book  is 
simply  this  :  Jesus  was  God  on  a  ivooing  errand  to 
the  earth.  That  simple  sentence  covers  fully  all 
that  is  found  in  John's  twenty-one  chapters. 
Every  line  in  these  fourteen  or  fifteen  pages  can 
be  traced  back  into  that  brief  statement. 

Indeed  this  becomes  an  outline  of  the  book. 
See :  in  the  opening  paragraphs  the  wooing 
Lover  is  coming  down  to  earth. ^  In  the  first 
twelve  chapters  the  Lover  is  jDleadiug  wiusomely 
and  earnestly  for  acceptance.*  Then  He  is  seen 
in  closest  touch  with  the  inner  group  of  those 
who  have  accepted,  opening  His  heart  yet  more, 
wooing  still  closer.^  Then  comes  the  last  tragic 
pleading,  pleading  in  intensest  action,  with  those 
who  persist  in  rejecting.*  And  then  the  last  close 
heart- touches  with  the  inner  circle.^ 

The  Water-Mark  of  John's  Gospel. 

The  very  words  John  so  thoughtfully  chooses 
as  his  leading  words  bear  the  distinct  impress  of 
this,  like  the  sharply  indented  stamp  of  the  mint 
on  the  new  coin.  Two  such  words  stand  out 
above  all  others,  "believe"  and  "witness." 
The  first  actually  occurs  oftenest,  sounding  out 
like  the  dominant  chord  of  music  running 
throughout  a  symphony.     The  second  is  like  the 

>  i.  1-18.  «  i.  19-xii.  50.  ^  chapters  xiii.-xvii. 

*  Chapters  xviii.-xix.  »  Chapters  xx.-xxi. 


22        Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

chief  warp-tliread  into  which  the  fabric  is  being 
woven. 

The  two  words  are  really  twins,  born  at  the 
same  time,  of  the  same  mother.  They  grow  up 
together  and  work  in  perfect  accord.  The  wit- 
nessing is  that  men  may  understand  and  believe. 
It's  the  servant  leading  up  to  the  belief  that  shall 
become  the  mastering  thiug.  The  belief  is 
servant,  too,  in  turn,  leadiug  up  to  the  witness- 
ing that  becomes  the  mastering  passion  in  those 
who  believe. 

These  words  are  worth  digging  into  for  the  fine 
gold  that  lies  hidden  within  waiting  the  miner's 
pick.  The  word  ' '  believe  "  is  a  nugget  of  pure 
gold,  whether  you  take  our  English  word  or 
John's  word  lying  underneath.  The  underneath 
word,  that  John  uses  in  his  own  mother  tongue, 
runs  a  sliding  scale  of  meaning. 

It's  a  ladder  rising  from  bottom  round  to  top- 
most. It  means  to  be  persuaded  that  a  thing  is 
true ;  then  to  place  confidence  in  it,  to  trust. 
And  trust  always  contains  the  idea  of  risJc.  The 
heart-meaning  always  is  that  you  risk  something 
very  precious  to  you,  risk  it  to  the  point  of 
heart-breaking  disaster  if  your  trust  proves 
wrong. 

Our  English  word  is  of  very  close  kin.  It  runs 
the  same  sort  of  sliding  scale,  from  something 
valuable  and  precious  in  itself,  on  to  something 
that  satisfies  you  regarding  the  matter  in  hand. 
You  are  not  only  satisfied  but  pleased,  content. 
And  so  there  is  the  same  trusting  and  risking, 
the  same  leaning  your  whole  weight  upon  the 


John's  Story  23 

thing.  Deep  down  at  its  root,  believe  is  a  close 
kinsman  to  love.  They  both  spring  out  of  the 
same  warm  creative  womb. 

When  we  dig  a  bit  into  that  word  believe  in  the 
usage  of  common  life  it  means  three  distinct 
things,  each  leading  straight  into  the  other, — 
knowledge,  belief,  trust.  That  is,  facts^  facts 
accepted,  facts  trusted  in  regard  to  something  that 
takes  hold  of  your  life.  You  hear  something. 
You  believe  it's  true.  But  there  must  be  the 
third  thing,  risking  something  valuable.  There's 
no  belief  in  the  heart-meaning  without  this  thing 
of  risking.  The  trust  that  risks  is  the  life  blood 
of  faith.  The  rest  is  only  the  bony  skeleton  with 
tendons  and  sinews  and  flesh.  There's  no  life 
without  the  blood.  There's  no  belief  without 
trust. 

And  the  word  witness  is  the  same  pure-gold 
sort  of  nugget,  assaying  full  weight.  John's 
native  word  and  our  own  are  just  the  same  in 
meaning.  Their  meaning  is  to  tell  what  you  knoic. 
We  shall  be  running  across  this  word  again,  and 
digging  a  bit  deeper  into  it.  But  this  is  the  thing 
that  stands  out  in  it.  You  tell  something  that 
you  yourself  know.  There's  personal  knowl- 
edge. There's  a  telling  some  one  else  this  thing 
you  know.  And  yet  more,  there's  the  purpose 
in  the  telling,  that  others  may  know  what  you 
know,  and  get  all  the  good  that  comes  with 
knowing  it. 

The  ivitnessing  is  that  others  may  believe.  It  is 
a  striking  thing  in  John  that  the  thought  of  wit- 
ness is  more  common  than  the  icord.     The  word 


24        Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

occurs  several  times,  and  always  in  a  leading 
way.  But  the  thought  of  witnessing  is  the  colour- 
ing of  every  page,  and  the  chief  colouring. 

I  said  that  these  two  words  were  twins,  born  at 
the  same  time,  of  the  same  mother.  That  warm- 
hearted brooding  mother  is  the  word  loooing. 
Originally  wooing  means  bending  towards,  in- 
clining forward  or  reaching  out  towards  another. 
And  the  purpose  of  the  reaching  out  is  to  get  the 
other  to  reach  forward  towards  you.  And  that 
purpose  puts  the  warm  feel  into  the  reaching 
out. 

All  words  were  pictures  first.  Here  in  this 
word  wooing  is  a  picture,  by  one  of  the  old  mas- 
ters, waiting  to  be  restored,  with  all  the  dusty 
accumulations  of  the  years  carefully  removed. 
And  here's  the  picture  :  a  man  standing,  with  the 
light  of  the  morning  shining  in  His  eyes,  body 
bending  forward,  hands  reaching  out,  with  an 
eagerness,  an  exxDCctancy  in  every  line  of  His 
body,  and  tender  love  glowing  out  of  His  face, 
and  sounding  in  the  very  tones  with  which  the 
voice  is  calliug. 

This  picture  is  really  the  water-mark  on  the 
paper  of  John's  Gospel.  Hold  up  the  paper  of 
John's  Gospel  to  the  light.  The  best  light  for 
the  purpose  is  found  on  Mount  Calvary.  High 
altitudes  have  clearer  light.  You  see  more  dis- 
tiuctlyo  Now  look.  Hold  still  that  you  may  see 
all  the  outlines  more  distinctly.  There's  the 
form  of  a  Man  standing  in  pleading  attitude, 
with  outstretched  hands.  His  face  combines  all 
the  fineness  of  the  finest  woman's  face,  with  all 


X 


John's  Story  25 

the  strength  of  the  strongest  man's,  and  more, 
immensely  more,  all  the  purity  and  tenderness 
and  power  of  God^s  face.  It  is  God  Himself  in 
human  form  coming  a-wooiug  to  earth,  and  we 
call  His  name  Jesus.  This  conception  is  the  very 
atmosphere  of  John's  Gospel. 

Jesus  is  the  witness  of  the  Father  to  men.  He 
knew  the  Father.  He  knew  Him  by  closest 
intimacy.  He  lived  with  Him.  He  came  down 
to  tell  what  He  knew.  He  wanted  others  to 
know  too.  He  wanted  them  to  know  even  as  He 
knew.  Telli7ig  is  the  whole  of  Jesus ;  telling  men 
of  the  Father, 

His  mere  presence,  His  character,  His  warm 
sympathy,  His  practical  helpfulness.  His  words, 
His  actions,  most  of  all  His  dying  and  His  rising, 
all  these  were  a  telling,  a  witnessing,  a  wooing  ; 
telling  the  Father's  love,  telling  the  damnable- 
ness  of  our  sin  by  giving  His  very  life  blood  to 
get  it  out  of  us  ;  so  telling  us  how  we  might  really 
know  the  mother-heart  of  the  Father. 

Jesus  the  Dividing  Line, 

There  are  several  contrasts  between  the  first 
three  Gospels  and  John's.  It  is  very  striking  to 
notice  one  in  particular  in  this  connection.  One 
reading  the  first  three  Gospels  for  the  first  time 
is  impressed  with  the  fact  of  Jesus'  rejection. 
This  stands  out  peculiarly  and  dominantly.  It 
was  the  great  fact,  told  most  terribly  in  the  death 
of  Jesus.  It  was  the  thing  that  stood  out  sharp- 
est in  the  generation  to  which  Jesus  belonged, 


26        Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

the  geueration  for  whom  these  three  Gospels  were 
•writteD  at  the  first. 

But  John  wrote  his  story  for  an  after-genera- 
tion, a  generation  that  had  not  known  the  man 
Jesus  by  personal  touch  and  observation.  And 
so  it  was  for  all  after-generations.  And  John 
makes  it  very  clear  that  Jesus  was  rejected,  and 
accepted. 

He  was  indeed  rejected  ;  that  fact  stands  out  as 
painfully  here  as  in  the  others.  He  was  rejected 
by  the  little  inner  clique  that  held  the  national 
reins,  and  held  them  with  fevered  tenacity,  and 
drove  hard.  And  the  reason  for  it  is  made  to 
stand  out  as  plainly  as  the  fact.  The  envy  and 
jealousy,  the  intense  bitterness  and  viciousness 
and  devilish  obstinacy  back  of  the  rejection  stand 
as  boldly  out  to  all  eyes  as  to  Pilate's. 

But  the  other  side  stands  out  sharply  too. 
Jesus  was  accepted.  He  was  accepted  by  all 
classes,  by  the  cultured,  and  the  scholarly,  by 
thoughtful  studious  leaders  and  officials  of  the 
nation.  He  was  accepted  by  the  great  middle 
classes  and  by  those  in  lowest  scale  socially,  and 
by  the  moral  outcasts.  Intense  Hebrews,  Eoman 
officials  of  high  rank,  half-breed  Samaritans,  and 
men  of  outside  nations  group  themselves  together 
by  their  full  acceptance  of  Jesus. 

He  was  listened  to,  doubted,  questioned,  dis- 
cussed, thought  over,  and  then  accepted.  And  He 
was  accepted  with  a  faith  and  with  a  love  that 
counted  not  suffering  nor  sacrifice  for  the  sake  of 
Him  whom  they  believed  and  trusted  and  loved. 
John  makes  this  clear,  rejected  and  accepted. 


John's  Story  27 

Jesus  divided  the  crowds.  Down  the  road  He 
comes,  with  quiet  strength,  wituessiug  to  the 
great  simxDle  truth  of  the  Father's  pure  strong 
wooing  love.  And  the  crowd  looks  and  listens 
and — divides.  Some  reject ;  clearly  they  are  a 
minority,  but  entrenched  in  a  position  of  power 
that  proves  quite  sufficient  for  their  purpose. 
Though  it  took  all  the  power  at  their  command 
to  carry  out  their  purpose. 

Others  accept.  These  are  the  crowds,  the  ma- 
jority. Some  don't  understand.  Their  motives 
are  selfish  or  mixed,  like  some  other  folks'  mo- 
tives. Some  are  played  upon  by  the  cunning  of 
the  leaders  and  swung  away.  But  there  remain 
the  thoughtful  ones  whose  faith  goes  from  weak- 
ness to  strength ;  it  grows  from  more  to  yet  more. 
It  mellows  from  a  true  simple  faith  to  a  deepened, 
seasoned,  sorely- tested,  surely- toughened  faith 
that  loves,  loves  clear  down  to  the  roots,  and  en- 
dures gladly.  This  is  the  simple  warp-thread 
into  which  John's  very  simple  story  of  Jesus  is 
woven. 

Spelling  God. 

I  want  to  give  you  a  bunch  of  keys,  as  we  start 
into  these  homely  talks  in  John's  Gospel.  They 
are  simple  keys.  Any  one  can  use  them.  They 
fit  easily  and  smoothly  into  every  lock,  the  lock 
of  your  life,  the  lock  of  any  circumstance,  any 
sore  problem  that  may  come  up  to  baffle  all  your 
efforts.  They  bring  treasures  within  easy  reach. 
They  open  up  the  way  into  all  you  need.     There 


28        Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

is  a  key  to  God,  a  key  to  the  Book  of  God,  and 
then  there  are  three  keys  to  this  little  John  book. 

The  key  to  God  is  in  one  little  word.  It  has  two 
spellings,  sometimes  with  four  letters,  sometimes 
with  five,  and  both  correct  spellings.  The  four- 
lettered  spelling  is  for  all  the  world.  The  five- 
lettered  spelling  is  chiefly  used  in  the  western 
half  of  the  earth,  and  along  certain  lines  and  in 
certain  spots  here  and  there  in  the  eastern  half 
where  the  word  is  known. 

That  first  spelling  is  1-o-v-e.  God  is  love. 
Love  is  of  God.  God  is  always  controlled  by  a 
purpose  in  all  His  dealings  with  the  race,  and 
with  you  and  me.  There  is  no  chance-happening 
with  Him,  no  caprice,  no  shadow  in  His  path 
that  tells  of  His  being  swerved  aside,  by  any- 
thing we  do,  from  a  steady  purpose. 

And  that  controlling  purpose  is  always  a  pur- 
pose of  love.  It's  a  purpose  of  strong  steady  pure 
clinging  brooding  love.  The  bother  is  we  don't 
know  what  that  word  love  means ;  none  of  us. 
We  know  words  but  not  the  real  things  they 
stand  for.  We  don't  know  the  real  thing  of  love 
because  we  don't  know  the  real  thing  of  God.  If 
we  knew,  oh !  if  we  but  knew  it — Him — how 
that  simple  statement  would  melt  us  down,  and 
mellow  us  through,  and  mould  us  ail  over  anew  ! 

That's  the  shorter  spelling.  It  is  the  universal 
spelling.  That  love  is  being  spelled  out  to  all 
the  race  by  every  twinkling  star  in  the  upper 
blue,  every  shade  of  green  in  the  lower  brown, 
by  every  cooling  shading  night,  and  every  fra- 
grantly dewy  morning.     Every  breath  of  air  and 


John's  Story  29 

bite  of  food  and  draught  of  water  is  repeating 
God's  spelling  les^son.  These  are  the  pages  in 
God's  primer.  So  we  all  may  learn  to  spell  out 
God.  And  so  we  get  the  right  spelling  of  our 
own  lives. 

Then  there's  the  other  spelling,  the  five-lettered, 
J-e-s-u-s.  It's  the  same  thing,  only  spelled  dif- 
ferently ;  spelled  in  a  yet  better  way.  The  spell- 
ing grows  bigger  to  us  when  Jesus  comes.  When 
we  know  Him  it  takes  more  to  spell  out  and  to 
tell  out  God's  love.  God  grows  larger  to  our 
eyes  as  He  comes  walking  among  us  as  Jesus. 
No,  He  doesn't  grow  larger.  We  simply  begin  to 
find  out  how  large  He  is. 

This  is  the  closer,  more  human  spelling.  The 
letters  are  nearer  and  seem  bigger  as  they  come 
walking  down  the  street  where  we  live,  and 
knock  at  our  own  door.  They're  easier  spelled 
out.  We  can  get  hold  of  them  better.  Love  is 
a  thing,  we  thinh.  Jesus  is  a  person.  It's  so  dif- 
ferent to  touch  a  person.  But  when  we  know, 
we  know  that  both  spellings  tell  the  same  thing. 
So  far,  only  about  a  third  of  us  have  heard  any- 
thing about  this  second,  this  closer  spelling. 
Two  out  of  three  haven't  heard  about  it  yet. 
But  those  who  really  know  this  spelling  are  eager 
for  the  others  to  get  it,  too. 

God  is  always  controlled  by  a  great  simple 
purpose  in  thinking  of  you  and  me.  And  it  is 
an  unfailing  purpose  of  strong  tender  love.  This 
is  the  first  key.  Any  one  may  take  it  and  use 
it.  It  is  unfailing.  It  will  fit  every  lock.  It 
will  unlock  every  problem.     It  will  open  up  the 


30        Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

riclies  to  any  life.  They're  brought  withiu  easy 
reach  of  any  hand  by  the  steady  use  of  this  key. 

This  is  the  key  to  God.  It  unlocks  the  doors 
and  lets  Him  freely  into  our  lives.  Then  we  find 
out  how  much  truer  it  is  than  we  can  under- 
stand. 

Then  there's  the  key  to  the  Book  of  God.  There 
are  many  keys  here,  of  course.  Daily  time  alone 
with  the  Book,  thoughtful  reading,  prayer,  some 
simple  plan,  putting  into  your  life  what  has  been 
put  in  its  pages, — these  are  all  good  keys.  But 
there's  a  master-key,  the  master-key.  It  is  simply 
this :  glad  surrender  of  will  to  the  God  of  the 
Book.  I  mean  a  strong  intelligent  yielding  to 
His  mastery  in  all  of  one's  plans  and  life.  The 
highest  act  of  the  strongest  will  is  yielding  to  a 
higher  will  when  you  find  it.  And  you  find  the 
higher,  the  highest,  will  here. 

This  is  the  master-key.  Bending  the  will  af- 
fects eyes  and  ears  and  mind.  The  hinges  of 
eye  and  ear  are  in  the  will.  As  the  will  bends 
those  hinges  move  of  themselves.  Eye  and  ear 
and  mind  open.  The  lower  the  will  bends,  the 
more  fully  and  habitually,  the  more  will  eyes 
and  ears  open,  the  keener  and  more  alert  will  be 
the  mental  processes,  the  more  intelligent  the 
understanding.  And  there  comes  to  be  a  con- 
tinual mutual  shifting.  With  better  understand- 
ing can  come  stronger  more  intelligent  yielding 
of  will,  and  so  again  clearer  light. 

And  it  is  striking  to  discover  that  there's  a 
practical  connection  between  the  joints  of  the 
knees  and  the  joint  of  the  will.     The  bending  of 


John's  Story  31 

knees  to  a  sharp  right  angle  affects  the  will.  It 
is  easier  to  bend  it.  It  bends  better  and  more. 
And  this  grows.  The  habitual  bending  of  the 
knees  helps  make  habitual  and  stronger  and 
more  intelligent  the  bending  of  the  will. 

This  is  the  master-key  to  the  Book  of  God.  It 
opens  every  lock  and  page.  It  opens  us  to  the 
Book,  and  opens  the  Book  to  us.  It  frees  out  to 
us  the  wondrous  Spirit  who  is  in  these  pages. 
And  so  through  the  opened  Book  there  come  to 
be  the  direct  touch  with  the  God  of  the  Book. 
We  don't  come  to  the  Book  merely  ;  we  come 
through  it  to  Him  who  comes  through  it  to  us. 
This  is  the  second  key  in  this  bunch. 

Three  Keys. 

Now,  I  want  to  give  you  the  three  keys  to  John's 
Gospel.  There's  a  back-door  key,  a  side-door 
key,  and  a  front-door  key.  These  keys  hang 
outside  the  doors,  low  down,  that  so  any  one 
who  wants  to  can  easily  reach  up,  and  get  them. 
And  if  used  faithfully  and  simply  they  will  be 
found  to  unlock  every  page  and  line  and  difficult 
question. 

The  bacJc-door  key  hangs  right  at  the  back  door. 
It  is  the  very  last  verse  of  chapter  twenty.  That 
really  was  the  last  chapter  at  first.  The  thought 
of  the  book  comes  to  a  close  there.  The  story  is 
complete.  Then  the  Holy  Spirit  led  John  to  add 
a  little,  a  second  last-chapter,  an  added  touch  for 
good  measure.  Love  is  never  content.  It  is  al- 
ways adding  more. 


32        Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

Here  is  the  key  :  "  these  are  written  that  ye  rnay 
believe  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  God  ;  and 
that  believing  ye  may  have  life  through  His  name.''^ 
This  was  John's  whole  thought  in  telling  the 
Jesus-story.  The  practical  gripped  him  wholly 
and  hard.  This  is  the  thing  that  guides  his 
selection  of  incidents.  This  purpose  shapes  the 
shape  of  the  book.  It  explains  everything  told, 
and  just  why  it  is  told  in  just  the  way  it  is  told. 

John  lets  Jesus  walk  before  our  eyes  fresh  from 
His  Father's  presence.  The  mere  fact  of  His 
presence,  the  winsomeness  of  His  personality, 
the  clearness  of  His  teaching,  the  power  of  His 
actions,  the  uncompromising  purity  of  His  char- 
acter amidst  sin-stained  crowds  and  sin-dirtied 
surroundings,  the  unflinching  rigidity  of  His 
ideals,  the  persuasiveness  of  His  very  manner 
and  tone  of  speech,  the  patience  and  gentleness, 
the  rugged  granite  strength,  the  mother  tender- 
ness, above  all  the  willingness  to  suffer  so  ter- 
ribly,— all  this  is  a  plea,  a  tremendous  over- 
powering plea,  all  the  stronger  because  pre- 
sented so  simply  and  briefly.  Jesus  is  a  Lover 
and  this  is  His  wooing. 

And  John's  one  thought  in  writing  is  the  same 
as  the  one  thought  in  the  Lover's  heart.  John 
has  become  simply  an  echo  of  Jesus.  It  is  this, 
that  yoM,  whoever  you  are,  wherever,  whatever, 
that  you  may  believe.  You  look  and  listen,  ques- 
tion, puzzle  a  bit  maybe,  but  keep  on  listening 
and  looking,  thinking,  weighing,  till  you  are  clear 
these  things  are  just  so  as  John  tells  them.  You 
accept  them  as  trustworthy.     Then  you  accept 


John's  Story  33 

jffm,  Jesus,  as  He  comes  to  you,  your  wooing 
Lover,  your  Lover-God,  your  Saviour  and  Lord» 

You  believe :  tliat  is  you  love.  Tlie  grammar 
of  the  word  works  itself  out  inside  you  thus, — 
believe,  trust,  love.  The  truth  comes  in  through 
eyes  and  ears  and  feeling,  into  brain  and  will ; 
through  emotion  clear  down  into  your  heart. 
You  love.  You  cannot  help  yourself.  You  love 
Hivi^  Jesus,  the  One  so  lovable. 

John  says  that  you  may  believe.  It  is  pos- 
sible. It  is  the  reasonable  intelligent  thing  to 
do  after  such  a  presentation.  John  makes  it 
easy  for  us  to  believe.  His  telling  of  the  story 
is  so  strong  and  convincing,  though  so  simple 
and  short,  that  believing  is  the  natural  thing. 
Jesus  Himself,  as  He  comes  to  us  through  John's 
eyes  and  speech,  is  so  believable,  so  trustworthy, 
so  lovable. 

Xow  we  may  believe.  It's  the  thing  to  do 
after  a  thoughtful  kneeful  study  of  the  case  as 
put  by  John.  We  may  believe  clear  into  and 
through  intellect  and  emotions  and  will,  right 
down  into  the  depths  of  heart  and  love,  clear 
out  into  every  action  of  the  life. 

And  John  sweeps  in  the  whole  crowd  of  the 
world  in  the  way  he  puts  it  here.  Listen  :  "  that 
you  may  believe  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ "  That 
was  for  the  Jew  peculiarly  in  the  first  instance. 
The  Jew  had  been  taught  through  generations 
that  there  was  One  coming  who  was  God's 
chosen  One  for  the  Hebrew  nation.  He  was  the 
Anointed  One.  The  Hebrew  said  Messiah.  The 
Greek  said   Christ.     Both  mean  the  same,   the 


34        Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

One  chosen  of  God,  anointed  by  Him  as  the 
King  and  Leader  of  His  chosen  people,  and 
through  them  of  all  the  race. 

Listen  further:  "that  Jesus  is  the  Son  of 
God.''''  That  is  for  all  of  us,  Jew  and  foreigner, 
insider  and  outsider.  This  Jesus  is  in  a  distinct- 
ive sense  the  Sou  of  God,  the  only  begotten  Son. 
This  pure  loviug  pleading  wooing  suffering  dy- 
ing risiug-agaiu  Jesus,  this  is  the  only  begotten 
Son  of  the  Father.  All  there  is  in  a  Father 
comes  to,  and  is  in,  an  only  begotten  son.  This 
is  God  Himself  coming  to  us  in  His  Son. 

Once  let  this  sift  into  thought  and  heart,  then 
who  would  not  believe,  and  trust,  and  love,  and 
fall  on  his  face  in  the  utter  devotion  of  a  volun- 
tary slave  before  such  a  God  ! 

And  so  believing,  trusting,  loving,  touching, 
His  life  flows  in  and  fills  up  and  floods  out.  We 
have  it  noio.  That  word  eternal,  used  so  often  by 
John  with  the  word  life,  is  not  a  mere  length  word. 
It  is  not  a  calendar  word.  It  tells  the  sort  of  life, 
the  quality  of  life,  that  comes  in  through  the 
opening  door  of  our  believing.  This  is  John's 
back-door  key,  but  it  lets  you  clear  in  through 
the  whole  house. 

Then  there  is  the  side-door  key.  It  hangs  at  the 
side,  a  bit  towards  the  back.  It  is  in  the  Thurs- 
day night  talk,  as  we  commonly  call  it,  that  last 
heart- talk  with  the  inner  group  on  the  betrayal 
night.  It  is  in  chapter  sixteen,  verse  twenty- 
eight  :  "  i"  came  out  from  the  Father,  and  am  come 
into  the  tcorld:  again,  I  leave  tlie  world,  and  go 
unto  the  Father.''^ 


John's  Story  35 

Hun  through  this  Gospel  with  that  fresh  in 
your  miud,  and  it  is  perfectly  fascinating  to  find 
how  much  like  a  magnet  it  is,  picking  out  to 
itself  so  many  bits  from  the  Master's  lips  that  fit 
exactly  into  it.  Jesus'  constant  thought  was  that 
He  used  to  be  with  the  Father  ;  He  came  down 
on  an  errand  to  the  earth.  By  and  by  when  the 
errand  was  done  He  would  go  back  home  again. 

This  sentence  becomes  a  simple,  exact,  com- 
prehensive outline  of  the  entire  Gospel.  Notice  : 
^^  I  came  out  from  the  Father^  ^ :  that  is  chapter 
one,  verses  one  to  eighteen.  There  Jesus  is  seen 
coming  down  from  His  Father's  own  presence. 
Then  chapter  one,  verse  nineteen  through  to  the 
close  of  the  twelfth  chapter  is  fully  described  and 
covered  by  the  next  clause,  "awd  am  come  into 
the  world  J'  Here  He  is  seen  in  the  world,  in  the 
midst  of  its  crowds  and  contentions  and  opposi- 
tions. 

^^  Again,  I  leave  the  world,^^ — chapters  thirteen 
to  nineteen.  In  chapters  thirteen  to  seventeen 
He  is  tenderly  leaving  the  inner  circle.  In 
chapters  eighteen  and  nineteen  He  is  going  out  of 
the  world  by  the  terrible  doorway  of  the  cross  it 
had  carpentered  for  Him.  How  quietly  He  says 
the  words,  though  the  terrible  going  is  yet  to 
come,  and  is  now  so  near  that  He  can  already 
feel  the  shame  and  the  thorns  and  the  nails. 

And  as  quietly  He  looks  beyond  and  adds, 
^^and  go  unto  the  Father.^''  In  chapters  twenty 
and  twenty-one  He  lingers  a  little  for  the  sake 
of  these  being  left  behind,  but  His  face  is  already 
turned  homeward.     They  would  hold  Him  in 


36        Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

their  midst.  He  quietly  tells  them  that  He  is 
going  back  home  to  the  Father  to  get  things 
ready  for  them,  as  He  had  said. 


He  Comes  to  His  Own. 

The  front- door  key  hangs  right  at  the  very 
front,  outside,  low  down,  where  even  a  child's 
hand  can  reach  it.  It  is  in  chapter  one,  verses 
eleven  and  twelve  :  *'  He  came  unto  Sis  own,  and 
they  that  were  Sis  oiisn  received  Him  not.  But  as 
many  as  received  Him  to  them  gave  He  the  right  to 
become  children  of  God,  even  to  them  loho  believe  on 
His  name.^^  This  is  the  great  key,  the  chief  key 
to  this  whole  house.  It  flings  the  front  door 
wide  open  and  you  are  inside  at  once,  and  take 
in  the  whole  of  the  house  at  a  glance,  one  glance, 
one  wonderful  glance. 

The  first  twelve  chapters  tell  of  Jesus  coming 
to  His  own,  His  own  nation,  humanly,  racially. 
His  own  chosen  people.  He  is  coming  steadily 
and  persistently,  in  spite  of  rebuffs ;  coming 
patiently,  tenderly,  earnestly  ;  coming  ever  closer 
in  the  ever  increasing  measure  of  divine  power 
seen  in  His  actions. 

And  continually,  persistently.  He  is  being 
rejected  and  accepted.  He  is  rejected  silently 
and  contemptuously,  then  aggressively  and  bit- 
terly, viciously  and  murderously.  "  His  own 
received  Him  not."  But  many  received  Him, 
eagerly  and  warmly  and  thoughtfully.  They  re- 
ceived Him  with  a  growing  depth  of  conviction 
and  deepening  tenderness  of  love.     And  as  they 


John's  Story  37 

come,  He  is  ever  receiving  them,  giving  them 
that  touch  of  new  life  that  marks  only  the  chil- 
dren of  God. 

In  chapters  thirteen  to  seventeen  He  is  receiv- 
ing into  closer  fellowship  those  who  have  received 
Him,  and  at  the  same  time  wooing  them  into  yet 
closer  touch.  The  story  of  the  trial  and  cruci- 
fixion in  chapters  eighteen  and  nineteen,  puts 
the  most  terrific  emphasis  on  the  words,  ^^  received 
Him  not. "  They  not  only  keep  Him  out  of  His 
own  possessions,  but  do  their  worst  in  putting 
Him  out  of  life.  And  the  little  book  closes  in  its 
last  two  chapters  with  His  receivers  being  re- 
ceived into  the  sweetest  intimacies  of  tested 
triumphant  love  and  into  the  inner  secrets  of 
rarest  resurrection  power. 

This  is  the  most  heart-breaking  of  all  of  John's 
heart-breaking  sentences.  John  had  a  hard  time 
writing  this  Gospel  of  his.  He  was  not  simply 
writing  a  book  ;  that  might  have  been  fairly  easy. 
But  he  was  telling  about  a  friend  of  his,  the 
friend  of  his  life,  his  one  dearest  Friend.  And 
when  he  remembers  how  they  treated  Him  his 
eyes  fill  up,  and  his  heart  beats  till  it  thumps, 
and  his  quill  sticks  into  the  paper  in  sheer  re- 
luctance to  tell  the  story. 

I  think  likely  in  the  original  manuscript, 
John's  own  first  copy,  the  writing  was  a  bit 
shaky  and  uneven  here.  The  dew  of  his  wet 
eyes  drops  and  blurs  the  words  a  bit  as  he  puts 
down,  "'He  came  to  His  own,  and  .  .  they 
■who  were    His    own    .    .     received    .     .     Him 


38        Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

One  day  a  young  student  was  crossing  the 
quadrangles  of  one  of  the  old  Scottish  Uni- 
versities towards  his  quarters  in  the  dormitory. 
He  was  not  feeling  well.  His  eyes  had  troubled 
him  and  made  his  work  very  difficult.  On  the 
advice  of  a  friend  he  sought  the  judgment  of  an 
expert  in  the  treatment  of  the  eyes.  The  spe- 
cialist made  a  very  thorough  examination  and 
then  informed  the  young  student  tactfully  but 
plainly  that  he  would  lose  his  eyesight,  surely 
and  not  slowly. 

Lose  his  eyesight!  A  sudden  terrific  actual 
blow  between  his  eyes  could  not  have  stunned  his 
body  more  than  this  stunned  brain  and  heart. 
Lose  his  eyesight !  All  his  plans  and  coveted 
ambitions  seemed  slipping  clean  out  from  his 
grasp.  With  the  loss  of  eyes  would  go  the  loss  of 
university  training,  and  so  of  all  his  dreams. 
Dazed,  blinded,  he  groped  his  way  rather  than 
walked  out  of  the  physician's  office. 

His  life  was  to  be  joined  with  another's.  And 
now  he  turned  his  distracted  steps  towards  her 
home,  hungry  doubtless  for  some  word  or  touch  of 
comfort  for  his  sore  heart.  And  he  was  think- 
ing, too,  that  with  this  utter  break-up  of  the 
future  she  must  be  told.  And  as  he  talked  he 
said  in  quiet  manly  words  that  under  these  un- 
expected circumstances,  and  the  radical  change 
in  his  prospects,  she  must  be  free  to  do  as  she 
thought  best. 

And  she  took  her  freedom !  Yet  she  was  a 
woman.  And  a  woman's  mission  is  to  teach  man 
love  by  the  real  thing  of  love,  by  being  it  herself, 


John's  Story  39 

and  drawing  it  out  into  full  flower  in  him.  That 
was  the  second  staggering  blow.  A  second  time 
he  groped  his  dazed  way  out  of  the  house,  down 
the  street,  into  his  lone  student  quarters. 

But  another  One  was  near,  brooding  over  him, 
and  tenderly  holding  his  breaking  heart,  and 
speaking  words  of  warm  comfort,  and  breathing 
in  the  freshing  breath  of  true  love.  And  as  he 
yielded  to  this  it  overcame  all  else.  A  new 
mood  came  and  dominated.  And  it  became  the 
fixed  thing  mastering  all  his  life.  Now  he  sits 
down,  and  out  of  his  torn  bleeding  but  newly- 
touched  heart  writes  the  words  we  have  all  learned 
to  sing : 

"  O  Love  that  will  not  let  me  go, 
I  rest  my  weary  soul  in  Thee, 
I  give  Thee  back  the  life  I  owe, 
That  in  thine  ocean  depths  its  flow 
May  richer,  fuller  be. 

"  O  Light  that  followest  all  my  way, 
I  yield  my  flickering  torch  to  Thee  ; 
My  heart  restores  its  borrowed  ray 
That  in  Thy  sunshine's  glow  its  day 
May  brighter,  fairer  be. 

**  O  Joy  that  seekest  me  through  pain, 
I  cannot  close  my  heart  to  Thee ; 
I  trace  the  rainbow  through  the  rain, 
And  feel  the  promise  is  not  vain 
That  morn  shall  tearless  be. 

**  O  Cross  that  liftest  up  my  head, 
I  dare  not  ask  to  hide  from  Thee ; 
I  lay  in  dust  life's  glory  dead, 
And  from  the  ground  there  blossoms  red 
Life  that  shall  endless  be." 


4©        Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

And  with  but  a  single  change,  the  change  of  a 
word  or  two  in  one  line,  they  stand  as  at  first  writ- 
ten. I  suppose  his  biographer  omitted  the 
incident  for  the  same  reason  that  the  first  three 
Gospels  may  have  omitted  the  incident  of 
Lazarus  while  he  was  still  living.  So  there  was 
a  sheltering  from  personal  embarrassment. 

He  came  to  his  own  and  his  own  received  him 
not.  He — Jesus  came  to  His  own  and  they  that 
were  His  own  received  Him  not.  Aye,  there's 
more  to  add  i  He  comes  to  His  own — you  and  me 
— to-day.     And  His  own 

You  and  I  must  finish  that  sentence,  each  in  his 
own  way.  And  we  will ;  and  we  do.  We  may 
copy  out  in  our  lives  just  what  these  men  of  old 
did  as  told  by  John.  Some  of  us  do.  We  may 
do  some  fine  revision  work  on  the  text  of  John's 
version  as  we  translate  it  now  into  the  experience 
of  our  own  hearts,  and  into  the  life  of  our  own 
lives.  That's  the  only  way  to  understand  the 
next  sentence  about  being  taken  into  the  family 
of  God  and  sharing  the  fullness  of  life  that  is 
common  there. 

And  this  bit  that  is  put  down  here  is  only  a 
bit  of  copy  work.  These  things  are  talked  and 
written  only  that  we  may  be  given  a  lift  into 
closer  touch  of  heart  and  life  with  the  Christ,  the 
Son  of  God,  and  the  Brother  and  Saviour  of  men. 


II 

THE  WOOING  LOVER 

Who  it  IVas  That  Came 


««  But  with  unhurrying  chase, 
And  unperturbed  pace. 
Deliberate  speed,  majestic  instancy. 
They  beat — and  a  Voice  beat 
More  instant  than  the  Feet  — 
•  All  things  betray  thee,  who  betray  est  Me.*  " 

— "  The  Hound  of  Heaven,** 


"  Behold,  I  stand  at  the  door  and  knock :  if  any 
man  hear  my  voice  and  open  the  door,  I  will  come  in 
to  him,  and  will  sup  with  him,  and  he  with  me." — 
HfV.  tit.  20. 


II 

THE  WOOING  LOVER 

(John  i.  1-18.) 

In  His  Own  Image. 

Love  gives.  It  gives  freely  and  without  stint, 
yet  always  thoughtfully.  It  gives  itself  out,  its 
very  life.  This  is  its  life,  to  give  its  life.  It  lives 
most  by  giving  most.  So  it  comes  into  fullness 
of  life. 

So  it  gets.  A  thing  of  life,  in  its  own  image, 
comes  walking  eagerly  with  outstretched  arms  to 
its  embrace.  It  gives  that  it  may  get.  Yet  the 
giving  is  the  greater.     It  brings  most  joy. 

This  is  the  very  essence  of  life,  this  giving 
creating  spirit.  It  is  everywhere,  in  lower  life 
and  higher  and  highest,  wherever  the  touch  of 
God  has  come.  The  sun  gives  itself  out  in  life 
and  light  and  warmth.  And  out  to  greet  it  comes 
a  bit  of  itself— the  fine  form  and  sweet  fragrance 
of  the  rose,  the  tender  blade  of  grass,  the  unfold- 
ing green  of  the  leaf,  the  wealth  of  the  soil,  the 
song  of  the  bird  and  the  grateful  answer  of  all 
nature. 

The  hen  sits  long  patient  days  on  her  nest. 

And  forth  comes  cheeping  life  in  her  own  image, 

answering  the  call  of  her  mothering  spirit.     The 

mother-bird  in  the  nest  in  the  crotch  of  the  tree 

43 


44        Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

gives  her  life  day  by  day  in  brooding  love.  And 
her  wee  nestling  offspring,  in  her  own  image,  an- 
swers with  glad  increase  of  strength  and  growth. 

Father  and  mother  of  our  human  kind  give  of 
their  very  life  that  new  life  may  come.  And 
under  the  overshadowing  touch  of  an  unseen 
Presence  comes  a  new  life  made  in  their  image, 
and  in  His  who  broods  unseen  over  all  three. 
And  over  the  life  wrecked  by  sin  broods  the 
Spirit  of  God.  And  out  through  the  doorway  of 
an  opening  will,  comes  a  new  creature  of  win- 
some life  in  the  very  image  of  that  brooding 
Spirit  of  God. 

This  is  the  holy  commonplace  of  all  life.  It 
is  the  touch  of  God.  It  is  everywhere  about  us, 
and  beneath  and  above.  The  father- mother 
Spirit  of  God  broods  over  all  our  common  life. 
And  when  things  go  wrong,  He  broods  a  bit 
closer  and  tenderer.  He  meets  every  need  of  the 
life  He  has  created.  And  He  meets  it  in  the 
same  way,  by  giving  Himself. 

And  there's  always  the  response.  The  fra- 
grance of  the  rose  answers  the  sun.  The  pipped 
shell  brings  the  longed-for  answer  to  the  glad- 
dened mother-bird.  The  ever  wondrous  babe-eyes 
give  unspeakable  answer  to  the  yearning  of  fa- 
ther and  mother  heart.  The  heart  of  man  leaps 
at  the  call  of  his  God. 

This  makes  quite  clear  the  wondrous  response 
men  gave  Jesus  when  He  walked  among  us. 
Jesus  was  God  coming  a  bit  closer  in  His  brood- 
ing love  to  mend  a  break  and  restore  a  blurred 
image.     And  men  answered  Him.     They  couldn'  t 


The  Wooing  Lover  4^ 

help  it.  How  they  came  !  They  didn't  under- 
stand Him,  but  they  felt  Him.  They  couldn't 
resist  the  tender,  tremendous  pull  upon  their 
hearts  of  His  mere  presence. 

And  Jesus  drew  man  into  the  closest  touch  of 
intimate  friendship.  The  long-range  way  of  do- 
ing things  never  suited  Him.  And  it  doesn't. 
He  didn't  keep  man  at  arm's  length.  And  He 
doesn't.  And  then  because  they  were  friends. 
He  and  they,  they  were  eager  to  serve,  and  will- 
ing even  to  suffer,  to  walk  a  red-marked  roadway 
for  Him  they  loved. 

The  Gospel  According  to —  You. 

Among  all  those  who  felt  and  answered  the 
call  of  Jesus  was  one  called  John,  John  the  dis- 
ciple. Jesus  drew  John  close.  John  came  close. 
John  lived  close.  John  came  early  and  he  stayed 
late.  He  stayed  to  the  very  end,  into  the  even- 
ing glow  of  life.  And  all  his  long  life  he  was 
under  the  tender  holy  spell  of  Jesus'  presence. 
He  was  swayed  by  the  Jesus-passion.  Always 
burning,  he  was  yet  never  consumed  ;  only  the 
alloy  burned  up  and  burned  out,  himself  refined 
to  the  quality  of  life  called  eternal. 

Then  John  came  to  the  end  of  his  long  life. 
And  he  knew  he  would  be  slipping  the  tether  of 
life  and  going  out  and  up  and  in  to  the  real  thing 
of  life.  And  I  think  John  was  a  bit  troubled. 
Not  because  he  was  going  to  die.  This  never 
troubles  the  man  who  knows  Jesus.  The  Jesus- 
touch  overcomes  the  natural  twinges  of  death. 


46        Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

But  he  was  troubled  a  bit  in  spirit  for  a  little  by 
the  thought  that  he  would  not  be  on  earth  any 
longer  to  talk  to  people  about  Jesus.  And  to 
John  this  was  the  one  thing  worth  while.  This 
was  the  life-passion. 

And  so  I  think  John  prayed  about  it  a  bit. 
For  this  is  what  he  did.  He  said  to  himself,  "  I 
will  write  a  book.  I'll  make  it  a  little  book,  so 
busy  people  can  quickly  read  it.  I'll  pick  out 
the  simplest  words  I  know  so  common  folks 
everywhere  that  don't  have  dictionaries  can  easily 
understand.  And  I'll  make  them  into  the  short- 
est simplest  sentences  I  can  so  they  can  quickly 
get  my  story  of  Jesus."  And  so  John  wrote  his 
little  book.  And  we  call  it  the  story  of  Jesus  ac- 
cording to  John,  or,  as  we  commonly  say  the 
Gospel — the  God-story — according  to  John. 

And  all  this  is  a  simple  bit  of  a  parable.  It  is 
a  parable  in  action.  Jesus  is  brooding  over  us, 
giving  Himself,  warmly  wooing  us.  He  woos  us 
into  personal  friendship  with  Himself.  And 
then  He  asks  that  each  of  us  shall  write  a  gospel. 
This  is  the  Gospel  according  to  John  ;  and  these 
others  according  to  Luke  and  Mark  and  Matthew. 
He  means  that  there  shall  be  the  gospel  accord- 
ing to — you.  What  is  your  name*?  put  it  in 
there.  Then  you  get  the  Master's  x)lau.  There 
is  to  be  the  gospel  according  to  Charles  and 
Robert  and  George,  and  Mary  and  Elizabeth  and 
Margaret. 

And  you  say,  "Write  a  gospel  ?  I  couldn't  do 
that.  You  don't  mean  that.  That's  just  a  bit  of 
preaching."     No,  it  isn't  preaching.     It's  so.     I 


The  Wooing  Lover  47 

do  not  mean  to  write  with  a  common  pen  of  steel 
or  gold  ;  nor  on  just  common  paper  of  rags  or 
wood-pulp.  But  I  do  mean — He  means — that 
you  shall  write  with  the  pen  of  your  daily  life. 
And  that  you  shall  write  on  the  paper  of  the  lives 
of  those  you're  touching  and  living  with  every  day. 

Clearly,  He  meant,  and  He  means,  that  you 
and  I  shall  live  such  simple  unselfish  lovable 
Jesus-touched  lives,  in  just  the  daily  common- 
place round  of  life,  that  those  we  live  with  shall 
know  the  whole  story  of  Jesus'  love  and  life  ; 
His  love  burned  out  for  us  till  there  were  no 
ashes,  and  His  life  poured  out  for  us  till  not  a  red 
drop  was  left  unspilled. 

Are  you  writing  your  gospel?  Is  your  life 
spelling  out  this  simple  wondrous  God-story? 
I  can  find  out,  though,  of  course,  I  shall  not. 
What  I  mean  is  this, — the  croiod  knows.  The 
folks  that  touch  you  every  day,  they  know. 
This  old  Bible  was  never  printed  so  much  as 
to-day,  nor  issued  more  numerously.  And — 
thoughtfully — it  was  never  read  less  by  the  com- 
mon crowd  on  the  common  street  of  life  than 
to-day. 

That  doesn't  mean  that  the  crowd  doesn't  read 
what  it  supposes  to  be  religious  literature.  It 
does.  I  wish  we  church  folk  read  our  religious 
literature  as  faithfully  as  this  crowd  I  speak  of 
reads  its.  It  is  reading  the  gospel  according  to 
you,  and  reading  it  daily,  and  closely,  and  faith- 
fully, and  remembering  what  it  reads,  and  being 
shaped  bj'-  it. 

This  Bible  I  have  here  is  bound  in^I  think  it 


48        Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

is  called  sealskin.  I  tried  to  get  the  best  weariDg 
binding  I  could.  But  I'  ve  discovered  that  there's 
a  better  binding  than  this.  The  best  binding  for 
the  Gospel  is  s/ioe-leather.  The  old  Gospel  of  the 
Son  of  God  is  at  its  best  as  it  is  being  tramped 
out  on  the  common  street  of  life.  Its  truths 
stand  out  clearest  as  they're  walked  out.  Its 
love  comes  warmest,  its  power  is  most  resistless 
as  it  comes  to  you  in  the  common  give-and-take 
of  daily  touch  in  home  and  shop  and  street.  Are 
you  writing  your  copy  of  the  Gospel  ? 

You  know  that  sometimes  scholars  have  found 
some  precious  manuscripts  in  old  monasteries. 
They  have  gone  into  some  old,  grey,  stone  monk- 
ery in  the  Near  East,  and  they  have  run  across 
old  manuscripts  hidden  away  in  some  dark  cell, 
covered  with  dust  and  with  rubbish,  perhaps. 
With  much  tact  and  diplomacy  they  have  at 
length  managed  to  get  possession  of  the  coveted 
manuscript.  And  they  have  been  fairly  delighted 
to  find  that  they  have  gotten  hold  of  a  remnant,  a 
very  precious  remnant,  of  one  of  these  Gospels. 
In  just  this  way  much  invaluable  light  has  been 
gotten  that  made  possible  these  precious  revised 
versions. 

I  wonder  if  your  gospel — the  one  you're  writing 
with  your  life — is  just  a  remnant,  a  ragged  rem- 
nant. And  perhaps  there's  a  good  bit  of  dusting 
necessary,  and  removing  of  rubbish,  to  get  even 
at  what  there  is  there.  And  some  of  the  shy 
hungry  hearts  that  touch  you  and  me  need  to  use 
quite  a  bit  of  unconscious  diplomacy  perhaps  to 
get  even  as  much  as  they  do.     I  wonder.    The 


The  Wooing  Lover  49 

crowd  knows.  It  could  throw  a  good  bit  of  light 
here.  How  much  of  this  old  Jesus-story  are  you 
really  living  f 

Of  course,  there's  a  special  touch  of  inspiration 
in  these  four  Gospels.  The  Holy  Spirit  brooded 
over  these  men  in  a  special  way  as  they  wrote. 
That  is  true.  These  are  the  standard  Gospels. 
We  would  never  know  the  blessed  story  but  for 
these  four  Spirit-breathed  little  books.  But  it  is 
also  true  that  that  same  Holy  Spirit  will  guide 
you  in  the  writing  of  your  version  of  the  Gospel. 

These  four  Gospels  are  different  from  each 
other.  The  colouring  of  Luke's  warm  person- 
ality, and  of  his  physician  habit  of  thought  is  in 
his  Gospel  very  plainly.  And  so  it  is  with  each 
one  of  these  Gospels.  And,  even  so,  there  will  be 
the  colouring  of  your  personality,  your  habit  of 
thought,  the  distinct  tinge  of  the  experience  you 
have  been  through,  in  the  gospel  you  write  with 
the  pen  of  your  life,  and  bind  up  in  the  shoe- 
leather  of  your  daily  round. 

But  through  all  of  this  there  will  be  the  simple, 
subtle,  but  very  real,  atmosphere  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  helping  you  make  the  story  plain  and 
full,  and  helping  people  to  understand  that  story 
as  it  is  lived,  as  they  never  can  simply  by  hearing 
it  told  with  tongues  or  read  through  eyes. 

Are  you  writing  your  gospel  ?  Is  your  daily 
life  spelling  out  the  life  and  love  of  Jesus,  that 
life  that  was  poured  out  till  none  was  left,  that 
love  that  was  burned  out  till  even  the  ashes  were 
burned  up,  too?  This  is  the  Master's  plan.  And 
practically  it  is  the  crowd's  only  chance. 


5©        Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

God  in  Human  Garb. 

Now  I  waut  to  have  you  turn  with  me  to  the 
opening  lines  of  John's  Gospel.  There  are  not 
many  of  these  opening  lines.  The  whole  story  is 
a  short  one.  These  lines  at  the  beginning  are 
like  an  etching,  there  are  the  fewest  touches  of 
pen  on  paper,  of  black  ink  on  white  surface.  But 
the  few  lines  are  put  in  so  simply  and  skilfully 
that  they  make  an  exquisite  picture.  It's  the 
picture  of  God  coming  in  human  garb  as  a  wooing 
Lover. 

I  think  it  might  be  best  perhaps  if  I  might 
simply  give  you  a  sort  of  free  reading  of  these 
opening  lines,  with  a  word  of  comment  or  illus- 
tration to  try  to  make  the  meaning  simpler.  It 
will  be  a  putting  of  John's  words  into  the  simple 
every-day  colloquial  speech  that  we  English- 
speaking  people  use.  John  used  very  simple 
language  in  his  own  telling  of  the  story  in  his 
mother-tongue.  And  it  may  help  if  we  try  to  do 
the  same. 

You  will  quickly  see  how  very  simple  this  free 
translation  will  be.  Yet,  let  me  say,  that  though 
homely  and  simple  it  will  be  strictly  accurate  to 
what  John  is  thinking  and  saying  in  his  own 
native  speech.  I  mean  of  course,  so  far  as 
I  can  find  out  just  what  he  is  thinking  and 
saying. 

Let  us  turn  then  to  John's  Gospel,  at  its  be- 
ginning. And  it  will  help  very  much  if  we  keep 
our  Bibles  open  as  we.  talk  and  read  together. 

Listen :  in  the  beginning  there  was  a  wondrous 


The  Wooing  Lover  51 

One.  He  was  tbe  mind  of  God  thinking  out  to 
man.  He  was  the  heart  of  God  throbbing  love 
out  to  man's  heart.  He  was  the  face  of  God 
looking  into  man's  face.  He  was  the  voice  of 
God,  soft  and  low,  clear  and  distinct,  speaking 
into  man's  ears.  He  was  the  hand  of  God,  strong 
and  tender,  reaching  down  to  take  man  by  the 
hand  and  lead  him  back  to  the  old  trysting-place 
nnder  the  tree  of  life,  down  by  the  river  of  water 
of  life. 

He  was  the  person  of  God  wearing  a  human 
coat  and  human  shoes,  hand-pegged,  walking  in 
freely  amongst  us  that  we  might  get  our  tangled 
up  ideas  about  God  and  ourselves  and  about  life 
untangled,  straightened  out.  He  was  God  Him- 
self wrapped  up  in  human  form  coming  close 
that  we  might  get  acquainted  with  Him  all  over 
again. 

This  is  part  of  the  meaning  of  the  little  five- 
lettered  word  in  his  own  tongue  that  John 
chooses  and  uses,  at  the  first  here,  as  a  new 
name  for  Him  who  was  commonly  called  Jesus. 
It  was  because  of  our  ears  that  he  used  the  new 
word.  If  he  had  said  ^' Jesus"  at  once,  they 
would  have  said  "Oh!  yes,  we  know  about 
Him."  And  at  once  their  ears  would  have 
gone  shut  to  the  thing  that  John  is  saying. 

For  they  didn't  know.  And  we  don't.  We 
know  words.  The  thing,  the  real  thing,  we  know 
so  little.  So  John  uses  a  new  word  at  the  first, 
and  so  floods  in  new  light.  And  then  we  come  to 
see  whom  he  is  talking  about.  It's  a  bit  of  the 
diplomacy  of  God  so  as  to  get  in  through  dulled 


52        Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

ears  and  truth-hardened  minds  down  in  to  the 
heart. 

Nature  always  seems  eager  to  meet  a  defect. 
It  seems  to  hurry  eagerly  forward  to  overcome 
defects  and  difficulties.  The  blind  man  has 
more  acute  hearing  and  a  more  delicate  sense 
of  feel.  The  deaf  man's  eyes  grow  quicker  to 
watch  faces  and  movements  and  so  learn  what 
his  ears  fail  to  tell  him.  The  lame  man  leans 
more  on  other  muscles,  and  they  answer  with 
greater  strength  to  meet  the  defect  of  the  weaker 
muscles. 

The  bat  has  shunned  the  light  so  long  through 
so  many  bat-generations  that  it  has  become  blind, 
but  it  has  remarkable  ears,  and  nature  has  grown 
for  it  an  abnormal  sense  of  touch,  and  a  peculiar 
sensitiveness  even  where  there  is  no  contact,  so 
that  it  avoids  obstacles  in  flying  with  a  skill 
that  seems  uncanny,  incredulous. 

I  remember  in  Cincinnati  one  night,  sitting  on 
the  platform  of  a  public  meeting  by  the  side  of  a 
widely  known  Christian  worker  and  speaker  who 
was  blind.  As  various  men  spoke  he  quietly 
made  brief  comments  to  me, — "  Se  doesn't  strike 
fire."  And  then,  '■^  He  doesn't  touch  them." 
And  then,  ''  Ah  !  he's  got  them  ;  that's  it ;  now 
they're  burning."  And  it  was  exactly  so  as  he 
said.  I  sat  fascinated  as  I  watched  the  crowd 
and  heard  his  comments.  The  sense  of  discern- 
ing what  was  going  on  in  another  way  than  by 
sight  had  been  grown  in  him  by  the  very  neces- 
sity of  his  blindness.  Defect  in  one  sense  was 
oyercome  by  nature,  by  increase  in  another  sense. 


The  Wooing  Lover  53 

When  Queen  Victoria  was  in  residence  in 
Scotland  at  Balmoral  it  was  her  kindly  custom 
to  present  the  various  clergymen  who  preached 
in  the  Castle  chapel  with  a  photograph  marked 
with  her  autograph.  When  George  Matheson, 
the  famous  blind  preacher,  came  she  showed  the 
fine  thoughtful  tact  for  which  she  was  famous. 
Clearly  an  autographed  photograph  would  not 
mean  much  in  itself  to  a  blind  man.  So  the 
Queen  had  a  miniature  bust-statue  made  and 
presented  to  him  as  her  acknowledgment  of  his 
service.  And  so  where  his  eyes  failed  to  let 
him  see,  his  sense  of  touch  would  carry  to  his 
mind  and  heart  the  fine  features  of  the  gracious 
sovereign  he  was  so  glad  to  serve. 

Jesus  was  God  coming  in  such  a  way  that  we 
could  know  Him  hy  the  feel.  We  had  gone  blind 
to  His  face.  We  couldn't  read  His  signature 
plainly  autographed  by  His  own  hand  on  the 
blue  above  and  the  brown  below.  But  when 
Jesus  came  men  Jcneiv  God  by  the  feel.  They 
didn't  understand  Jesus.  But  the  sore  hungry 
crowds  reached  out  groping  trembling  fingers, 
and  they  knew  Him.  They  began  to  get  ac- 
quainted with  their  gracious  Sovereign. 

All  this  gives  the  simple  clue  to  this  word 
"  Word^'  which  John  uses  as  a  new  name  for 
Jesus.  Man  had  grown  deaf  to  the  music  of 
God's  voice,  blind  to  the  beauty  of  His  face, 
slow-hearted  to  the  pleading  of  His  presence. 
His  hand  was  touching  us  but  we  didn't  feel  it. 
So  He  came  in  a  new  way,  in  a  very  homely 
close-up  way  and  walked  down  our  street  into 


54        Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

our  own  doors  that  we  might  be  caught  by  the 
beauty  of  His  face,  and  thrilled  by  the  music  of 
His  voice,  and  thralled  by  the  spell  of  His  pres- 
ence. 


God  at  His  Best. 


John  goes  on  :  and  this  wondrous  One  was  with 
God.  There  were  two  of  them.  And  the  two 
were  together.  They  were  companions,  they 
were  friends,  fellows  together.  And  this  One 
was  God.  Each  was  the  same  as  the  other. 
This  is  the  same  One  who  was  in  the  later  creative 
beginning  icith  God.  It  loas  through  this  One  that 
all  things  were  made.  And,  of  all  things  that 
have  been  made,  not  any  thing  was  made  ivithout 
Sim. 

You  remember  that  John's  Gospel  and  Genesis 
begin  in  the  same  way, — "in  the  beginning." 
But  John's  "in  the  beginning,"  the  first  one,  is 
not  the  same  as  the  Genesis  "  in  the  beginning." 
John's  is  the  beginning  before  there  was  any  be- 
ginning. It  is  the  beginning  before  they  had 
begun  making  calendars  on  the  earth,  because 
there  wasn't  any  earth  yet  to  make  calendars  on. 
Then  this  second  time  the  phrase  is  used  John 
comes  to  the  later  creative  beginning  with 
which  Genesis  opens.  This  is  what  John  is 
saying  here. 

^'In  Him  was  life.''^  Out  of  Him  came  life. 
Out  of  Him  comes  life.  There  was  no  life,  there 
is  none,  except  what  was  in  this  Oue,  and  what 
came,  and  comes  out  from  Him  all  the  time. 


The  Wooing  Lover  ^^ 

How  patient  God  is  !  There  walks  a  man  down 
the  street.  He  leaves  God  out  of  his  life.  He 
may  remember  Him  so  far  as  to  use  His  name 
blasphemously  to  punctuate  and  emphasize  what 
he  is  saying.  Yonder  walks  a  woman  in  the 
shadow  of  the  street  at  night.  And  her  whole 
life  is  spent  walking  in  the  dark  shadow  of  the 
street  of  life.  And  her  whole  life  is  a  blasphemy 
against  her  personality,  and  against  the  God  who 
gave  her  that  precious  sacred  personality. 

Take  these  two  as  extreme  illustrations.  There 
is  life  there  ;  life  of  the  body,  of  the  mind,  life  of 
the  human  spirit.  Listen  softly,  all  the  life  there 
is  there,  is  coming  out  all  the  time  from  this  One 
of  whom  John  is  talking.  It  is  not  given  once  as 
a  thing  to  be  taken  and  stored.  It  is  &em^ given. 
It  is  coming  constantly  with  each  breath,  from 
this  wondrous  One.  This  is  what  John  is  saying 
here. 

How  patient  God  is !  Only  we  don't  know 
what  patience  is.  We  know  the  word,  the  label 
put  on  the  outside.  We  don't  know  the  thing, 
except  sometimes  in  very  smallest  part.  For 
patience  is  love  at  its  best.  Patience  is  God  at 
His  strongest  and  tenderest  and  best. 

I  think  likely  when  we  get  up  yonder,  we'll 
stop  one  another  on  the  golden  streets.  There'll 
be  a  hand  put  out,  gripping  the  other  hard. 
And  we'll  look  into  each  other's  eyes  with  our 
eyes  big.  And  we'll  say  with  breaking  voices, 
''  ^ow  patient  God  was  with  us  down  there  on  the 
earth,  down  there  in  Loudon  and  New  York.^' 

In  Him  was  life.     Out  of  His  hand  and  heart  is 


56        Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

coming  to  us  all  the  time  all  we  are  and  all  we 
have.  We  may  leave  God  practically  out.  So 
many  of  us  do.  But  He  never  leaves  us  out. 
The  creating,  sustaining  touch  of  His  Hand  is 
ever  upon  each  of  us,  upon  all  the  world. 

Though  He  cannot  do  all  for  us  He  would  ex- 
cept as  we  gladly  come  and  let  Him.  What  He 
is  giving  us  is  so  much.  It's  our  aZZ.  Yet  it  is 
the  smaller  part.  There's  the  fuller  part.  This 
is  the  whole  drive  of  John's  story,  this  fuller 
part.  Out  of  Him  Jesus,  into  us  will  come  the 
newer,  the  better,  the  abundant  quality  of  life,  if 
He  may  have  His  way. 

And  John  adds, — ^^aiid  the  life  was  the  light  of 
men.^^  He  was  what  we  have.  He  gives  Him- 
self ;  not  things,  but  a  person.  With  God  every- 
thing is  personal.  We  men  go  to  the  impersonal 
so  much,  or  we  try  to.  We  do  our  best  at  it.  We 
have  a  great  genius  for  organization,  especially 
in  this  western  half  of  the  earth. 

As  I  came  back  from  a  four  years'  absence 
from  my  own  country,  I  was  instantly  conscious 
of  a  change.  Either  my  ears  were  changed  or 
things  about  me  were.  I  think  likely  both.  But 
the  wheels  were  going  faster  than  ever.  There 
were  more  wheels,  and  their  whir  seemed  never 
out  of  ear-shot.  Commercial  wheels,  and  educa- 
tional, philanthropic  and  religious,  political  and 
humanitarian,  thicker  and  faster  than  ever,  driv- 
ing all  day,  and  with  almost  no  night  there. 

And  the  whole  attempt  is  to  make  the  machine 
do  the  thing  with  as  little  dependence  as  possible 
on  the  human  element,  even  though  the  human 


The  Wooing  Lover  57 

element  was  never  emphasized  more.  Contra 
dictory  ?  Yet  there  it  is.  We  men  go  to  the  im- 
personal.  Yet  deep  down  in  our  hearts  we 
hunger  for  the  human  touch,  the  warm  personal 
touch.  This  after  all  is  the  thing.  We  all  feel 
that.  Yet  the  whole  crowding  of  life's  action  ia 
to  crowd  it  out. 

But  with  God  everything  is  personal.  The  life 
is  the  light  of  men.  What  He  is  in  Himself — 
that  is  what  He  gives.  And  this  is  all  the  light 
and  life  we  ever  have.  Men  make  botany.  God 
makes  flowers  breathing  their  freshening  fra- 
grance noiselessly  up  into  your  face.  Man  makes 
astronomy.  God  makes  the  stars,  shaking  their 
firelight  out  of  the  blue  down  into  your  wonder- 
ing eyes  on  a  clear  moonless  night.  Man  makes 
theology.  And  theology  has  its  place,  when  it's 
kept  in  its  place.     God  gives  us  Jesus. 

I  don^t  know  much  about  botany.  My  knowl- 
edge of  astronomy  is  very  limited.  And  the 
more  I  read  of  theology,  whether  Western  or 
Eastern,  Latin  Church  or  Greek,  the  first  Seven 
Councils  or  the  later  ones,  the  more  I  stand  per- 
plexed. It's  a  thing  fearsomely  and  wonderfully 
manufactured,  this  theology.  But  I  frankly 
confess  to  a  great  fondness  for  flowers,  and  for 
stars,  and  a  love  for  Jesus  that  deepens  ever  more 
in  reverential  awe  and  in  tenderness  and  grateful 
devotion.  The  life  was  the  light  of  men.  He 
Himself  is  all  that  we  have.  We  go  to  things. 
We  reckon  worth  and  wealth  by  things.  He 
gives  Himself.  And  He  asks,  not  things,  but 
one's  self. 


58        Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

Packing  Most  in  Least. 

And  John  goes  quietly  on  with  his  great  simple 
story  2  ^'' and  the  light  shineth  in  the  darkness." 
John  has  a  way  of  packing  much  in  little.  Here 
he  packs  four  thousand  years  into  three  English 
letters.  For  he  has  been  back  in  that  creative 
Genesis  week.  And  now  with  one  long  stride  he 
puts  his  foot  down  in  the  days  when  Jesus  walks 
among  us  as  a  man.  Forty  centuries,  by  the 
common  reckoning,  packed  into  three  letters  e-t-h. 
Rather  a  skilful  bit  of  packing  that.  Yet  it  is  not 
unusual.  It  is  characteristic  both  of  John  and  of 
the  One  that  guides  John's  pen.  When  He  is  al- 
lowed to  have  free  sway  the  Holy  Spirit  packs 
much  in  little. 

That  rugged  old  Hebrew  prophet  of  fire  and 
storm,  Elijah,  standing  in  the  grey  dawn,  in  the 
mouth  of  an  Arabian  cave,  had  the  whole  of  a 
new  God — a  God  of  tender  gentle  love — packed 
into  an  exquisite  sound  of  gentle  stillness,  that 
smote  so  subtly  on  his  ear,  and  completely  melted 
and  changed  this  man  of  rock  and  thunder.  It's 
a  new  man  that  turns  his  face  north  -again.  The 
new  God  that  had  compacted  Himself  anew  in- 
side the  ruggedly  faithful  old  man  is  revealed  in 
the  prophet's  successor.  This  is  the  new  spirit, 
so  unlike  the  old  Elijah,  that  comes  as  a  birth- 
right heritage  upon  young  Elisha.  Great  pack- 
ing work  that. 

That  fine-grained  young  university  fellow  on 
the  Damascus  road,  driving  hard  in  pursuit  of 
his  earnest  purpose,  had  the  whole  of  a  God,  a 


The  Wooing  Lover  59 

new  God  to  him,  packed  into  a  single  flasli  of 
blinding  light  out  of  the  upper  blue.  He  had  the 
whole  of  a  new  plan,  an  utterly  changed  plan  for 
his  life,  packed  into  a  single  sentence  spoken  into 
his  amazed  ears  as  he  lies  in  the  dust. 

And  if  this  Holy  Spirit  may  have  His  way — a 
big  if  1  Yes  :  yet  not  too  big  to  be  gotten  rid  of 
at  once  :  God  puts  in  the  if 's,  that  we  may  get 
the  strength  of  choosing.  We  put  them  out,  if 
we  do.  If  He  may  have  His  way  He'll  pack — 
listen  quietly,  with  your  heart — He'll  pack  the 
ichole  of  a  Jesus  inside  you  and  me.  Much  in  lit- 
tle ?  Most  in  least !  And  the  more  we  let  Him 
in,  the  bigger  that  "most"  prints  itself  to  our 
eyes,  and  the  more  that  "least"  dwindles  down 
to  the  disappearing  point. 

God  gives  us  His  own  self  in  Jesus.  Jesus 
comes  to  live  inside  of  us.  He  doesn't  give  us 
things,  but  Himself.  We  talk  about  salvation. 
There's  something  better — a  Saviour,  We  talk 
about  help  in  trouble.  There's  something  im- 
mensely more — a  Friend^  alongside,  close  up. 
We  talk  about  healing — sometimes,  not  so  much 
these  days ;  the  subject  is  so  much  confused. 
There's  something  much  better — a  Healer^  living 
within,  whose  presence  means  healing  and  health 
for  body  and  spirit. 

Then  John  says,  "  the  light  shineth  in  the  dark- 
ness.''^ This  is  God's  way  of  treating  darkness. 
There  are  two  ways  of  treating  darkness,  man's 
and  God's.  Man's  way  is  to  attack  the  darkness. 
Suppose  this  hall  where  we  are  were  quite  dark, 
all  shuttered  up,  and  suppose  we  were  new  on  the 


6o        Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

earth,  and  not  familiar  with  darkness.  We  want 
to  hold  a  meeting.  But  how  shall  we  get  rid  of 
this  strange  darkness  that  has  come  down  over 
everything  ?  Let's  each  of  us  get  a  bucket  or 
pail  or  basin,  and  take  some  of  the  darkness  out. 
So  we'll  get  rid  of  it,  and  its  inconvenience. 

And  if  the  suggestion  were  made  seriously 
there  might  be  talk  of  putting  the  suggestor  in  a 
certain  sort  of  institution  for  the  safety  of  the 
community.  Yet  this  is  the  way  we  go  at  the 
other  darkness,  the  worse  moral  darkness. 

God's  way  is  quite  different ;  indeed  just  the  ex- 
act reverse  let  the  Uglit  shine.  The  darkness 
can't  stand  the  light.  If  the  hall  were  quite 
dark,  and  I  scratched  only  a  parlour-match,  in- 
stantly as  the  little  flame  broke  out  of  the  end  of 
tlie  stick  some  of  the  darkness  would  go.  It's 
surprising  how  much  would  go,  and  how  quickly. 
The  darkness  can't  stand  the  light.  It  flees  like 
a  Ijunted  hare  before  a  pack  of  hounds. 

There  may  be  times  when  action  must  betaken 
by  a  community  against  certain  forms  of  evil,  so 
damnable,  and  so  strongly  entrenched,  and  so 
threatening  to  the  purity  of  home  and  young  and 
of  all.  But  note  keenly  that  this  is  incide7itaL 
It  is  immensely  important  at  times,  but  it  is  dis- 
tinctly secondary.  The  great  simple  plan  of  God 
is  this  :  let  the  light  shine.  The  darkness  flees  like 
a  whipped  cur,  tail  tightly  curled  down  and  in, 
before  the  real  thing  of  light. 

Let  me  ask  you  a  question.  Come  up  a  bit 
closer  and  listen  quietly,  for  this  is  tremendously 
serious.     And  it's  the  quietest  spoken  word  that 


The  Wooing  Lover  6i 

reaches  the  inner  cockles  of  the  heart.  Listen  i 
is  it  a  bit  dark  down  where  you  live  ?  Morally 
dark?  Spiritually?  How  about  that?  in  com- 
mercial circles  and  social  and  fraternal,  in  church 
and  home  and  city  and  neighbourhood.  Is  it  a 
bit  dark  ?  Or,  have  I  found  the  Garden  of  Eden 
at  last  before  the  serpent  entered  ? 

Because  if  it  be  a  bit  dark,  softly,  please,  let 
me  say  it  very  quietly,  for  it  may  sound  critical, 
and  I  would  not  have  that  for  anything.  We  are 
talking  only  to  help.  Though  sometimes  the 
truth  itself  does  have  a  merciless  edge.  If  it  be 
a  bit  dark  does  it  not  suggest  that  the  light  has  not 
been  shining  as  it  teas  meant  to  ?  For  where  the 
light  shines  the  darkness  goes. 

For,  you  see,  this  is  still  God's  plan  for  treat- 
ing darkness.  It  is  meant  to  be  true  to-day  of 
each  of  us, — ^Hhe  light  shineth  in  the  darkness.^ ^ 
Of  course,  we  are  not  the  light.  He  is  the  Light. 
But  we  are  the  light-holders.  I  carry  the  Light 
of  the  world  around  inside  of  me.  And  so  do 
you,  if  you  do.  It  is  not  because  of  the  "  me," 
of  course,  but  because  of  the  great  patience  and 
faithfulness  of  Him  who  is  the  Light.  A  very 
rickety  cheap  lantern  may  carry  a  clear  light, 
and  the  man  in  the  ditch  find  good  footing  in  the 
road  again. 

You  and  I  are  meant  to  be  the  human  lanterns 
carrying  the  Light,  and  letting  it  shine  clearly 
fully  out.  And  you  know  when  some  one  else  is 
providing  the  light  the  chief  thing  about  the 
lantern  is  that  the  glass  of  the  lantern  be  kept 
clean  and  clear  so  the  light  within  can  get  freely 


62        Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

out.  The  great  tiling  is  that  ice  shall  live  clean 
transparent  lives  so  the  Light  within  may  shine 
clearly  out.  We  may  live  unselfish  clean  Christly 
lives,  by  His  great  grace.  And  through  that 
kind  of  lives,  the  Light  itself  shines  out,  and 
shines  out  most,  and  most  clearly. 

Over  at  the  mouth  of  the  Hudson,  where  I  call 
it  home,  there  are  some  strange  things  seen. 
Sometimes  the  glass  of  this  human  lantern  gets 
smoky,  badly  smoked.  And  sometimes  it  even 
gets  cobwebby,'  rather  thickly  covered  up.  And 
even  this  has  been  known  to  happen  up  there, — 
it'll  seem  very  strange  to  you  people  doubtless — 
this;  they  write  finely  phrased  essays  on  the  del- 
icate shading  of  grey  in  the  smoke  on  the  glass  of 
the  human  lantern. 

They  meet  together  and  listen  to  essays,  in 
rarely  polished  English,  on  the  exquisite  lace-like 
tracery  of  the  cobwebs  on  the  glass  of  the  human 
lantern.  But  look  !  Hold  your  heart  still  and 
look  !  There's  the  crowd  in  the  road  in  the  dark, 
struggling,  jostling,  stumbling,  and  falling  into 
the  ditch  at  the  side  of  the  road,  ditched  and 
badly  mired,  because  the  light  hasn't  gotten  to 
them.  The  Light's  there.  It's  burning  itself 
out  in  passionate  eagerness  to  help»  But  the  hu- 
man lanterns  are  in  bad  shape. 

''Ehetoric  ! "  do  you  say?  I  wish  it  were.  I 
wish  with  my  heart  it  were.  Look  at  the  crowds 
for  yourself.  There  they  go  down  the  street, 
pell-mell,  bewildered,  blinded,  some  of  them  by 
will-o'-the-wisp  lights,  ditched  and  mired  many 
of  them.     The  thing  is  only  too  terribly  true 


The  Wooing  Lover  63 

Our  Lord's  great  plan,  bearing  the  stamp  of  its 
divinity  in  its  sheer  human  simplicity,  is  this : 
we  who  know  Jesus  are  to  live  Sim.  We're  to 
let  the  whole  of  a  Jesus,  crucified,  risen,  living, 
shine  out  of  the  whole  of  our  lives. 

Is  it  a  bit  dark  down  where  you  are  ?  Let  the 
Light  shine.  Let  the  clear  sweet  steady  Jesus- 
light  shine  out  through  your  true  clean  quiet 
Jesus-swayed  and  Jesus-controlled  life.  Then 
the  darkness  must  go.  It  can't  stand  the  Light. 
It  can't  withstand  the  purity  and  insistence  of 
its  clear  steady  shining.  And  the  darkness  will 
go  :  slowly,  reluctantly,  angrily,  doggedly,  mak- 
ing hideous  growling  noises  sometimes,  raising 
the  dust  sometimes,  but  it  will  go.  It  must  go 
before  the  Light.  The  Light's  resistless.  This 
is  our  Lord's  wondrous  plan  through  His  own, 
and  His  irresistible  plan  for  the  crowd,  and  His 
plan  against  the  prince  of  darkness. 

The  Heart-road  to  the  Head. 

Then  John  goes  on  to  say,  ^Hhe  darJcness  appre- 
hended it  not.'^  The  old  common  version  says 
"comprehended";  the  revisions,  both  English 
and  American,  say  "apprehended."  Both  are 
rather  large  words,  larger  in  English  than  John 
would  use.  John  loved  to  use  simple  talk.  Yet 
there's  help  even  in  these  English  words.  Com- 
prehend is  a  mental  word.  It  means  to  take 
hold  of  with  your  mind  5  to  understand.  Ap- 
prehend is  a  physical  word.  It  means  to  take 
hold  of  with  your  hand. 


64        Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

You  cau't  compreliend  Jesus.  That  is  just  the 
simple  plain  fact.  You  may  have  a  fine  mind. 
It  may  be  well  schooled  and  trained.  You  may 
have  dug  into  all  the  books  on  the  subject,  Eng- 
lish and  German  and  the  few  French.  You  may 
have  spent  a  lifetime  at  it.  But  at  the  end 
there  is  immensely  more  of  Jesus  that  you  don't 
understand  than  the  part  that  you  do  understand. 
You've  touched  the  smaller  part  only,  just  the 
edges.  You  cannot  take  Jesus  in  with  your 
mind  simply.  The  one  is  too  big  and  the  other 
too  limited  for  that  particular  process. 

But,  listen  with  your  heart,  you  can  apprehend 
Him.  You  can  take  hold  of  Him.  There  isn't 
one  of  us  here,  however  poorly  equipped  mentally 
and  in  training,  and  too  busy  with  life's  common 
duties  to  get  much  time  for  reading,  not  one  of 
us,  who  may  not  reach  out  your  hand,  the  hand 
of  your  heart,  the  hand  of  your  life,  the  hand 
of  your  simple  childlike  trust — if  you're  great 
enough  in  simplicity  to  be  childlike,  to  be  natural, 
not  one  of  us,  but  may  reach  out  the  hand  and 
take  in  all  there  is  of  Jesus. 

And  the  striking  thing  to  mark  is  this,  that  we 
don't  really  begin  to  comprehend  until  we  ap- 
prehend. Only  as  we  take  Him  into  heart  and 
life  can  we  really  understand.  It's  as  if  the  heat 
in  the  heart  made  by  His  presence  there  loosens 
up  the  grey  juices  of  your  brain,  and  it  begins  to 
work  freely  and  clearly. 

Of  course,  this  is  a  commonplace  in  the  educa- 
tional world.  It  is  well  understood  there  that 
no  student  does  his  best  work,  no  matter  what 


The  Wooing  Lover  65 

that  work  may  be,  in  science  or  philosophy  or  in 
mathematics  or  in  laboratorial  research,  his 
mind  cannot  do  its  best,  or  be  at  its  best,  until 
his  heart  has  been  kindled  by  some  noble  passion. 
The  key  to  the  life  is  in  the  heart,  that  is  the 
emotions  and  purposes  tied  together.  The  ap- 
proach to  the  mind  is  through  the  heart.  The 
fire  of  pure  emotion  and  of  noble  purpose  burn- 
ing together,  works  out  through  the  mind  into  the 
life.     This  is  nature's  order. 

But  what  John  is  saying  here,  put  into  as 
simple  language  as  he  would  use,  is  this:  ^Hhe 
darkness  loouldri't  let  the  light  in,  and  couldnH  shut 
it  out  J  and  couldnH  dull  the  brightness  of  its  shining. ' ' 
It  tried.  It  tried  first  at  Bethlehem.  The  first 
spilling  of  blood  came  there.  There  was  the 
shedding  of  blood  at  both  ends  of  Jesus'  career, 
and  innocent  blood  each  time.  It  tried  at  the 
Nazareth  precipice,  and  in  the  spirit-racking 
wilderness.  It  tried  by  stones,  then  in  Geth- 
semane,  then  at  Calvary. 

And  there  it  seemed  to  have  succeeded.  At 
last  the  light  was  shut  in  and  down ;  the  door 
was  shut  and  barred  and  bolted.  And  I  suppose 
there  was  great  glee  in  the  headquarters  of  dark- 
ness. But  the  Third  Morning  came.  And  the 
bars  of  darkness  were  broken,  as  a  woman 
breaks  the  sewing-cotton  at  the  end  of  the  seam. 
The  Light  could  not  be  held  down  by  darkness. 
It  broke  out  more  brightly  than  ever.  The 
darkness  couldn't  shut  the  light  out.  And  it 
can't. 

Let  the  light  shine.     Let  it  shine  out  through 


66        Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

the  clear  clean  glass  of  an  unselfish,  Jesus- 
cleansed  Jesus-fired  life  lived  for  Him  in  the 
commonplace  round,  and  the  shut-away  corner. 
And  the  darkness  will  go.  The  darkness  cannot 
shut  out  the  light,  nor  keep  it  down,  nor  resist 
the  gentle  resistless  power  of  its  soft  clear  flood- 
ing. Let  the  Light  shine  down  in  that  corner 
where  you  are.  And  the  darkness,  darkness  that 
can  be  felt,  and  is  felt  so  sorely  deep  down  in 
your  spirit,  in  its  uncanny  Egyptian  blackness, 
that  darkness  will  break,  and  more,  clear,  and 
go,  go,  go,  till  it's  clear  gone. 

And  so  ends  John's  first  great  paragraph.  It 
is  so  tremendous  in  its  simplicity  that,  Greek-like, 
men  stumble  over  its  simple  tremendousuess. 
Away  back  in  the  beginning  God  revealed  Him- 
self in  making  a  home  for  man,  and  in  bringing 
the  man,  made  in  His  own  image,  to  his  home. 
And  then  when  the  damp  unwholesome  darkness 
came  stealing  in  swamping  the  home  and  man  He 
came  Himself,  flooding  in  the  soft  clear  pure 
light  of  His  presence,  to  free  man  from  the  dark- 
ness and  woo  him  out  into  the  light. 

Tarskish  or  Nineveh  ? 

Then  John  goes  on  into  his  second  paragraph. 
^^  There  came  a  man,  sent  from  God,  whose  name 
was  JohnP^  Why?  Because  man  was  in  the 
dark.  He  sent  a  man  to  help  a  man.  He  used  a 
man  to  reach  a  man.  He  always  does.  Eun 
clear  through  this  old  Book  of  God,  and  then 
clear  through  that  other  Book  of  God — the  book 


The  Wooing  Lover  67 

of  life,  and  note  that  this  is  God's  habit.  He, 
Himself,  uses  the  path  He  had  made  for  human 
feet.  With  greatest  reverence  let  it  be  said  that 
God  must  use  a  human  pathway  for  His  feet. 

Even  when  He  would  redeem  a  world  He  came, 
He  must  needs  come,  as  a  Man,  one  of  ourselves. 
He  touches  men  through  men.  The  pathway  of 
His  helping  feet  is  always  a  common  human 
pathway.  And,  will  you  mark  keenly  that  the 
highest  level  any  life  ever  reaches,  or  mw  reach,  is 
this  :  to  be  a  pathway  for  the  feet  of  a  loooing  uoin- 
ning  God. 

And  this  is  still  true.  It  is  meant  to  be  true 
to-day  that  there  came  a  man,  sent  from  God, 
whose  name  is—your  name.  You  put  in  your 
own  name  in  that  sentence,  then  you  get  God's 
plan  for  you.  For  as  surely  as  this  particular 
John  of  the  desert  and  of  the  plain  living,  and  the 
burning  speech,  was  sent  by  God,  so  surely  is 
every  man  of  us  a  man  sent  by  God  on  some  par- 
ticular errand.  And  the  greatest  achievement  of 
life  IS  to  find  and  fit  into  the  plan  of  God  for 
one's  life.  This  is  the  only  great  thing  one  can 
do.  Anything  else  is  merely  labelled  ^^ great.'' 
And  that  label  washes  off.  This  is  the  one  thing 
worth  while. 

The  bother  is  we  don't  always  get  the  verbs, 
the  action  words,  of  that  sentence  straight.  John 
was  a  man  sent  from  God.  And  he  came.  All 
men  are  sent  But  they  don't  all  come,  some 
go ;  go  their  own  way.  There  was  a  man  sent 
from  God  whose  name  was  Jonah.  But  he  didn't 
come      He  went     He  was  sent  to  Nineveh  on 


68        Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

the  extreme  east.  He  went  towards  Tarshish  on 
the  extreme  west ;  just  the  opposite  direction. 
Every  man  is  headed  either  for  Nineveh  or 
Tarshish,  God's  way  or  his  own.  Which  way  are 
you  headed  ? 

Some  of  us  go  to  Tarshish  religiously.  We  go 
our  own  way,  and  sing  hymns  and  pray,  to  make 
it  seem  right  and  keep  from  hearing  the  inner 
voice.  We  hold  meetings  at  the  boat-wharf, 
while  waiting  for  the  Tarshish  ship  to  lift  anchor. 
We  have  services  in  the  steerage  and  second-class 
and  distribute  tracts  and  New  Testaments ;  but 
all  the  time  we're  headed  for  Tarshish  ;  our  way, 
not  God's.  It  won't  do  simply  to  do  good.  We 
must  do  God's  will.     Find  that  and  fit  into  it. 

The  meetings  and  tracts  are  only  good  but 
they  ought  to  be  on  the  train  to  Nineveh,  and  in 
Nineveh  where  God's  sent  you.  Are  you  berthed 
on  the  boat  for  Tarshish  ?  or  have  you  a  seat  en- 
gaged on  the  train  for  Nineveh  ?  going  your  own 
way?  or  God's?  John  was  sent  and  he  came. 
You  and  I  are  sent.  Are  we  coming  or  going  ? 
coming  God's  way  ?  or,  going  our  own  ? 

Living  Martyrs. 

This  true-hearted  burning  man  of  the  deserts 
came  for  a  witness.  Here  we  strike  one  of  .John's 
great  words.  You  remember  the  three  things 
that  vntness  means  ?  that  you  know  something  ; 
that  you  tell  what  you  know  ;  and  that  you  tell  it 
most  with  your  life.  And  telling  it  with  your  life 
means,  not  only  by  the  way  you  live,  but,  toO; 


The  Wooing  Lover  69 

even  though  the  telling  of  it  may  cost  you  your 
life.  It  came  to  mean  all  of  that  with  this  wit- 
ness. 

It  came  to  mean  that  with  a  new  fullness  of 
meaning,  a  peculiar  significance,  to  the  great 
Witness,  of  whom  John  told.  This  was  the  very- 
throbbing  heart  of  the  wooing  errand.  This  ex- 
plains the  tenderness  and  tenacity  of  the  Lover  in 
His  wooing  in  the  midst  of  intensest  opposition, 
and  in  spite  of  it. 

The  opposition  brought  about  the  terrific 
grouping  of  circumstances  which  the  great  Lover- 
witness  used  as  the  tremendous  climax  of  both 
wooing  and  witnessing.  No  one  doubts  the 
reality  of  Jesus'  witness  to  the  Leather's  love  be- 
fore men.  And  no  one,  who  has  had  any  touch 
at  all  with  Him,  doubts  the  tremendous  pull  upon 
one's  heart  of  such  a  wooing  appeal  as  that 
Calvary  climax  of  witnessing  made,  and  makes. 

And  this,  mark  it  keenly,  is  still  the  plan. 
"  The-same-came-for- witness "  is  meant  to  be 
true  of  each  follower  of  the  Christ  This  is  to  be 
the  dominant  uuderchording  of  all  our  lives. 
This  is  to  be  the  never-absent  motive  gripping 
us,  and  our  possessions  and  our  plans.  The  rest 
is  incidental  in  a  true  life. 

It  may  be  a  "rest "  that  takes  most  of  the  wak- 
ing hours  with  most  of  us,  most  of  our  strength 
and  thought.  But  there's  an  undercurrent  in 
every  life.  And  the  undercurrent  is  the  control- 
ling current.  It  makes  us  what  we  really  are.  It 
may  be  quite  different  from  the  upper  current 
controlled  by  the  outer  necessities  of  circum- 


7©        Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

stances.  And  with  the  true  Jesus-man  this  is  the 
undercurrent,  this  thing  of  witnessing. 

Do  you  know  something  of  Jesus?  Do  you 
know  the  cleansing  of  His  blood  ?  Do  you  know 
the  music  of  His  peace  in  your  heart  ?  Do  you 
know  a  bit  of  the  subtle  fragrance  of  His 
presence  ?  Do  you  know  the  power  of  His  Name 
when  temptations  come,  when  the  road  gets  slip- 
pery, and  your  feet  go  out  from  under  you — al- 
most. Then  His  Name,  its  power,  and  you  hold 
steady.  Do  you  know  something  about  such 
things  ? 

Then  tell  it.  This  is  the  plan — telling.  It's  a 
Gospel  of  telling.  Tell  it  with  your  lips  tactfully, 
gently,  boldly,  earnestly.  But  tell  it  far  more, 
and  most  with  your  life.  Let  what  you  are,  when 
you're  not  thinking  about  this  sort  of  thing,  let 
that  tell  it.  That's  the  greatest  telling,  the 
best. 

And,  softly,  now,  when  you  get  to  the  end  of 
telling  what  you  know,  listen  quietly,  don't  go 
to  digging  into  books  for  something  to  tell  your 
class  or  the  meeting  or  the  crowd.  Don't  do 
that.  Books  have  their  place,  good  books,  but 
it's  always  a  sharply  secondary  place,  or  third, 
or  lower  down  yet.  Poor  crowd  that  must  be 
fed  on  retailed  books  worked  over  !  Don't  do 
that.  Know  more.  Know  Jesus  better.  Trust 
Him  more  fully.  Eisk  more  on  following  where 
He  clearly  leads.  Then  you  can  tell  more  and 
better. 

Sometimes  I'm  asked,  "How  can  I  have  more 
faith  % "     Well,    not    by    thinking    about    your 


The  Wooing  Lover  71 

faith.  Not  by  books  or  definitions  chiefly, 
however  they  may  help  some.  I  can  tell  you 
how :  Follow  where  the  Master's  quiet  voice  is 
clearly  calling.  Go  where  it  is  plain  to  you  that 
that  pierced  hand  is  leading. 

"Ah!  but  the  way  is  a  bit  narrow,"  you 
think.  "And  it's  steepo  There  are  sharp- 
edged  stones  under  foot.  And  those  bushes 
are  growing  rank  on  both  sides  narrowing  the' 
path.  And  thorns  scratch  and  hurt  and  sting. 
This  other  road  where  I  am  now — this  is  a  good 
Christian  road.  My  Christian  brothers  are  here. 
I'd  rather  stay  here." 

And  so  you  stay.  You  don't  say  "no"  to 
the  calling  voice.  You  simply  act  "no."  No 
wonder  you  get  confused  and  tangled.  It's 
only  in  the  path  of  following  clear  leading  that 
there  comes  sweetest  peace,  with  no  nagging 
doubts  and  mental  confusion.  There  only  will 
you  have  more  faith,  know  more  of  Him,  touch 
with  whom  is  the  realest  faith.  And  so  only  will 
the  witness  be  told  out  to  the  crowd  on  the  street 
of  your  life,  of  the  power  and  satisfying  peace 
of  this  Jesus. 

This  is  the  witnessing  we're  sent  to  do.  And 
the  crowds  crowd  to  listen,  when  it's  given. 
This  is  the  way  the  Witness  did.  He  followed 
the  clear  Father-voice,  though  the  road  led 
straight  across  the  regular  roads  through  thorn 
hedges  and  thick  underbrush.  Should  not  the 
servant  tread  it  still  ? 

The  word  that  John  uses  here  underneath  our 
English  word  witness  is  the  word  from  which  our 


72        Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

English  word  martyr  comes.  And  martyr  has 
come  to  mean  one  who  gives  his  life  clear  out  in 
a  violent  way  for  the  truth  he  believes.  But,  do 
you  know,  that  is  easy.  "Easy?"  You  say, 
' '  Surely  not,  you're  certainly  wrong  there. "  No, 
you  are  right.  It  is  not  easy.  To  face  a  storm 
of  lead,  or  feel  the  sharp-edged  blade,  or  yield  to 
the  eating  flame, — that  is  never  easy. 

But  this  is  what  I  mean.  There's  the  heroic 
in  it,  and  that  helps.  You  brace  yourself  for  it. 
The  terrible  crisis  comes.  You  pull  together  and 
pray  and  resolutely,  desperately,  face  it.  A  little 
while,  and  it's  over.  You've  been  true  in  the 
sharp  crisis.  You  have  taken  a  place  with  the 
noble  army  of  martyrs.  And  we  who  hear  of  it 
have  a  martyr's  halo  about  your  head. 

But  there's  something  immensely  harder  to  do. 
Without  making  a  whit  less  than  it  is  the  splen- 
did courage  of  martyrdom,  there's  something  that 
takes  immensely  more  courage,  and  a  deeper 
longer-seasoned  heroism,  and  that  is  to  be  a 
living  martyr,  to  bear  the  simple  true  witness 
tactfully  but  clearly,  when  it  takes  the  very  life 
of  your  life  to  do  it,  though  it  doesn't  take  your 
bodily  life  in  a  violent  way. 

You  know  they  don't  martyr  people  these  days 
for  their  Christian  faith.  At  least  not  in  the  west- 
ern half  of  the  earth,  the  Christian  hemisphere. 
No,  that's  quite  behind  the  calendar.  That's 
rather  crude,  quite  behind  the  cultured  advanced 
Christian  progress  of  our  day.  Our  Christian 
civilization  has  gone  long  strides  beyond  that. 
We  have  grown  much  more  refined.     Now  we 


The  Wooing  Lover  73 

kill  them  socially.  Many  a  one  who  would  live 
true  to  the  Jesus-ideals  in  daily  life  in  a  simple 
sane  way  finds  certain  social  doors  shut  and  care- 
fully barred. 

We  kill  them  commercially  now.  The  man  who 
will  quietly  hew  to  the  Jesus-line  in  business  is 
quite  apt  to  find  his  income  reduced.  The  bulk 
of  business  shrinks.  The  thermometer  is  run 
down  below  the  living  point.  We  kill  men  by 
frost  now.  The  blockade  system  is  skilfully 
used;  isolation  and  insulation  from  certain 
circles.     We  are  much  more  refined^ 

The  great  need  to-day  is  of  living  witnesses  to 
the  Christ  in  home,  and  social  circle,  in  the  street, 
and  in  the  market-place. 

"  So  he  died  for  his  faith  ;  that  is  fine, 
More  than  the  most  of  us  do. 
Bat  stay,  can  you  add  to  that  line 
That  he  lived  for  it,  too  ? 

**  It's  easy  to  die.     Men  have  died 
For  a  wish  or  a  whim — 
From  bravado  or  passion  or  pride. 
Was  it  hard  for  him  ? 

"  But  to  live  :  every  day  to  live  out 
All  the  truth  that  he  dreamt, 
While  his  friends  met  his  conduct  with  donbt^ 
And  the  world  with  contempt. 

"  Was  it  thus  that  he  plodded  ahead, 
Never  turning  aside  ? 
Then  we'll  talk  of  the  life  that  he  led  " 
Even  more  than  the  death  that  he  died. 


74        Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

7he  Forgotten  Preacher. 

With  a  simplicity  in  sticking  to  his  main  point, 
John  goes  quietly  on  :  "  that  he  might  he  a  witness 
of  the  light.'' ^  That's  rather  interesting.  It  was 
of  the  light  he  was  to  bear  witness  ;  not  of  himself. 
It  was  not  the  technical  accuracy  of  his  work,  not 
its  scholarliuess  and  skill  that  absorbed  him,  but 
that  the  crowd  got  the  light.  Eather  striking  that, 
when  you  break  away  from  the  atmosphere 
round  about,  and  think  into  it  a  bit. 

Here's  a  man  walking  down  a  country  road. 
It's  a  hot  day.  The  road's  dusty.  He  gets  a  bit 
weary  and  thirsty.  He  comes  across  a  bit  of  a 
spring  by  the  side  of  the  road.  Clear  cool  water 
it  is.  And  some  one  has  thoughtfully  left  a  tin- 
cup  on  a  ledge  of  rock  near  by.  And  the  man 
gratefully  drinks  and  goes  on  his  way  refreshed. 
He  quite  forgets  the  tin-cup. 

Sometimes  the  tin-cup  seems  to  require  much 
attention,  up  in  the  corner  of  the  world  where 
my  tent  is  pitched.  It  has  to  be  handled  very 
carefully  and  considerately  if  one  is  to  get  what 
possible  drops  of  water  it  may  contain.  The  hu- 
man tin -cup  seems  to  bulk  very  big  in  the  drink- 
ing process,  sometimes,  in  my  corner  of  the 
planet.  It  is  silver-plated  sometimes  ;  just  com- 
mon tin  under  the  plating.  There's  some  fine 
engraving  on  the  silver-plating,  noble  sentiment, 
deftly  expressed,  and  done  in  the  engraver's  best 
style.  But  the  water  is  apt  to  be  scanty,  the 
drops  rather  few,  in  this  sort  of  tin-cup.  It's  a 
bit  droughty. 


The  Wooing  Lover  75 

And  sometimes  even  this  has  been  known  to 
occur  :  they  have  associations  of  these  human 
tin-cups  for  self-admiration  and  other  cultural 
purposes.  And  they  have  highly  satisfactory 
meetings.  But  meanwhile,  ah  !  look  !  hold  still 
your  heart,  and  look  here.  There's  the  crowd  on 
the  street,  hot  dusty  street,  exhausted,  actually 
fainting  for  want  of  water,  just  good  plain  water 
of  life.  But  there's  none  to  be  had  ;  only  tin- 
cups  !  John  was  eager  to  have  men  get  a  good 
drink.  He  was  content  as  he  watched  them 
drink,  and  their  eyes  lighten.  He  was  discon- 
tent and  restless  with  anything  else  or  less. 

Do  you  remember  the  greatest  compliment 
ever  paid  John,  John  the  Herald  !  John  was  a 
great  preacher.  He  had  great  drawing  power. 
To-day  we  commonly  go  where  people  are  hoping 
they'll  stay  while  we  talk  to  them.  But  John 
did  otherwise.  He  went  down  to  the  Jordan 
bottoms,  where  the  spirit  ventilation  was  better, 
and  called  the  people  to  him.  And  they  came. 
They  came  from  all  over  the  nation,  of  every 
class.  Literally  thousands  gathered  to  hear  John. 
He  had  great  drawing  power. 

And  then  something  happened.  Here  is  John 
to-day  talking  earnestly  to  great  crowds  down  by 
the  river-road.  And  here  he  is  again  to-morrow ; 
but  where  are  the  crowds?  John  has  lost  his 
crowd.  Same  pulpit  out  in  the  open  air,  same 
preacher,  same  simple  intense  message  buruiug 
in  his  heart,  but — no  congregation  !  Tlie  crowd's 
gon?i.  Poor  John  !  You  must  feel  pretty  bad. 
It's  hard  enough  to  fail,  but  how  much  harder 


76        Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

after  succeeding.  Poor  John,  I'm  so  sorry  fo! 
you. 

But  if  you  get  close  enough  to  John  to  see  into 
his  eye  you  quit  talking  like  that.  And  if  you 
get  near  enough  to  hear  you  find  your  sympathy 
is  not  needed.  For  John's  eye  is  ablaze  with  a 
tender  light,  and  the  sound  of  an  inner  heart 
music  reaches  your  ear  as  you  get  near  him. 
And  if  you  follow,  as  you  instinctively  do,  the 
line  of  the  light  in  his  eye  you  quickly  look  down 
the  road. 

Oh  !  There's  John's  crowd.  TheyWe  listening 
to  Jesus.  John's  crowd  has  left  him  for  his 
Master.  And  the  forgotten  preacher  is  the  finest 
evidence  of  the  faithfulness  of  the  preacher.  The 
crowd's  getting  the  water,  sweet  cool  refreshing 
water  of  life,  direct  from  the  fountain.  They've 
clean  forgotten  the  faithful  common  tin-cup. 
And  John's  so  glad.  John  came  that  he  might 
bear  witness  of  the  light.  And  he  did.  And  the 
crowd  heard.     And  they  Shocked  to  the  light. 

Here's  a  man  preaching.  And  the  people  are 
listening.  The  benediction  is  pronounced.  And 
they  go  out.  And  as  they  move  slowly  out 
they're  talking,  always  talking.  We  don't  seem 
yet  to  have  demitted  our  privilege  of  talking  after 
service.  Here  are  two.  Listen  to  them.  '^  Isn't 
he  a  great  preacher?  so  scholarly,  so  eloquent,  so 
polished ;  and  all  those  classical  allusions.  I 
didn't  understand  half  he  said  ;  he  certainly  is  a 
great  preacher.  We're  very  fortunate  in  such  a 
man." 

And  the  preacher,  whoever  he  be,  may  know 


The  Wooing  Lover  77 

this  for  a  bit  of  the  certainty  that  occasionally 
will  sift  in.  He  may  be  a  scholar.  I  wouldn't 
question  it.  And  a  polished  orator.  I  wouldn't 
question  that.  But  in  the  main  thing,  the  one 
thing  he's  for,  as  a  Jesus-witness^  he  is  a  splendid 
scholarly  polished  failure.  Men  are  talking 
about  him. 

They've  forgotten  his  Master,  if  indeed— ah, 
yes,  if  indeed  he  have  a  Master !  He  has  a 
Saviour,  let  us  earnestly  hope,  and  willingly  be- 
lieve. But  a  Master  I  One  that  sweeps  and 
sways  his  mind  and  culture  and  life  like  the 
strong  wind  sweeps  the  thin  young  saplings  in 
the  storm — clearly  he  knows  nothing  of  that. 
Men  are  talking  of  him. 

And  here's  another  talking  a  bit.  It  may  be 
just  a  simple  homely  talk.  Or  he  may  likewise 
be  scholarly  and  eloquent.  A  man  should  bring 
his  best.  The  old  classic  is  :  beaten  oil  for  the 
lamps  of  the  sanctuary.  But  there's  the  soft 
burning  fire  of  the  real  thing  in  his  message. 
And  the  people  feel  it.  The  air  seems  a-thrill 
with  its  quiet  tensity.  And  the  last  amen  is  said. 
And  again  they  go  out. 

And  here  are  two  walking  down  the  road  to- 
gether, and  as  they  come  to  the  cross-street,  one 
says  to  his  companion,  **  Excuse  me,  please,  I 
have  to  go  down  this  way."  And  the  ''  have- to  " 
is  the  have-to  of  an  intense  desire  to  get  off  alone. 
And  as  he  goes  down  the  side  street  he's  talking, 
but — to  himself.  Listen  to  him  :  "I'm  not  the 
man  I  ought  to  be.  I  wonder  if  Jesus  is  really 
iike  he  said.     I  wonder  if  the  thing's  really  so.    I 


78        Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

believe — yes,  I  really  think  I'll  risk  it.  My  life 
isn't  like  it  should  be.  I'll  risk  trying  this 
Jesus- way.     I'll  do  it." 

The  man's  clean  forgotten  the  speaker.  Oh, 
yes,  he  remembers  the  tone  of  the  voice,  and  the 
look  of  the  face,  but  indistinctly,  far  away.  He's 
face-to-face  with  Jesus !  And  the  forgotten 
speaker  is  the  finest  evidence  of  the  faithfulness 
of  his  speaking.  He  is  holding  up  the  light. 
And  men  run  into  the  light  They've  clean  for- 
got the  little  tin  candlestick,  they  are  so  taken 
up  with  the  light  it  holds. 

The  One  Thing  to  Aim  At. 

And  John  keeps  driving  in  on  the  point  in  his 
mind  :  '■'■that  all  might  believe  through  Him "  ;  that 
they  might  listen,  stop  to  think,  agree  as  to  the 
thing  being  believable,  then  trust  it ;  then  trust 
Sim,  the  Light,  risk  something,  risk  themselves  to 
Sim,  then  love,  love  with  a  passionate  devotion. 
This  was  John's  objective.  It  was  the  bull's-eye 
of  his  target  never  out  of  his  keen  Spirit-opened 
eye.     Nothing  else  figured  in. 

This  is  the  thing  in  all  our  living  and  serving 
and  doing  and  giving,  that  men  may  know  Jesus  to 
the  trusting,  risking,  loving  point,  the  glad  point. 
Everything  that  we  can  bring  of  gold  and  learn- 
ing and  labour  and  skill  is  precious,  it  is  as 
purest  gold,  if  it  lead  men  into  heart-touch  with 
Jesus.  And  it  clean  misses  the  mark  if  it  does 
less. 

Who  would  be  content  to  give  a  Belgian  or 


The  Wooing  Lover  79 

Polish  starveling  a  bare  bit  of  bread,  and  a 
lonely  stick  of  wood,  and  a  rag  of  cloth.  Bite 
and  stick  and  cloth  are  good,  but  it's  a  meal  and 
a  Jire,  and  some  clothing,  the  man  wants.  And 
you  have  both  ready  at  hand.  Things  are  good, 
provided  by  money  and  skill  and  research  and 
painstaking  efforts.  They  do  good.  But  it's 
Jesus  men  need.  It's  the  warm  touch  that  lets 
Sim  fully  in  with  all  of  His  human  sympathy  and 
all  of  His  God-power,  that's  what  they  need. 

Given  the  sun  and  quickly  come  warmth  and 
food  and  shelter,  health  and  vigour  and  increase 
of  life.  Given  Jesus,  and  the  warm  touch  with 
Him,  in  His  simple  fullness,  just  as  He  is,  and 
surely  and  not  slowly,  there  come  flooding  in  all 
the  rest  of  an  abundant  life,  physical  and  mental 
and  of  the  spirit. 

John  "was  not  the  lighf^  He  was  only  the 
candlestick.  And  he  was  content  to  be  that. 
He  was  a  good  candlestick.  The  light  was  held 
up.  It  could  shine  out.  How  grateful  the  crowd 
was.  The  road  had  been  so  dark.  It  is  a  bad 
thing  when  light  and  candlestick  change  places. 
The  crowd  seems  to  get  the  two  confused  some- 
times. We  get  to  thinking  that  the  candlestick 
is  the  light,  and  the  light  is — lost  sight  of.  We 
gather  about  the  candlestick.  It'll  surely  lead 
the  way  out  through  the  dark  night  into  day. 
It's  such  a  good  candlestick,  so  highly  polished. 

And  sometimes  the  human  candlestick  itself 
gets  things  a  bit  mixed.  It  thinks,  then  it  feels, 
then  it  knows,  with  a  peculiar  quality  of  self- 
assertive  certainty,  that  after  all  it  is  the  light 


8o        Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

that  lighteth  every  one  that  is  so  blessed  as  to 
come  within  the  radius  of  its  shining.  And 
brass  does  take  a  high  polish,  and  makes  an  at- 
tractive appearance.  It  does  send  out  a  sparkle 
and  radiance  if  only  ib  is  somewhere  within  range 
of  some  real  light,  patient  enough  to  keep  on 
shining  in  the  dark,  regardless  of  non- apprecia- 
tion or  misrepresentation  or  misunderstanding. 

Is  it  any  wonder  the  road  is  so  full  of  people  wan- 
dering in  the  night  gathered  about  candlesticks  ? 
Is  it  surprising  that  the  ditches  are  so  full  of  men 
and  candlesticks  mixed  up  and  mired  up  together  ? 
Yet  it  is  always  heart-breaking.  There  may  be 
talent  and  training  of  the  highest  and  best,  and 
scholarship  and  culture,  eloquence  and  skill, 
institutions  and  philanthropies.  And  there  is 
so  much  of  these.  And  these  are  good  in  them- 
selves, and  of  priceless  practical  worth  when 
seen  and  held  in  their  right  relation  to  flie  thing 

But  it  needs  to  be  said  often  and  earnestly  : 
these  are  not  tJie  light.  They  are  given  to  point 
men  better  to  the  Light.  They're  road-signs, 
index-fingers.  And  they  are  seen  at  their  best 
when  they  point  to  the  Light  so  clearly  that  the 
crowd  quite  forgets  them  in  hastening  to  the 
Light  they  point  out.  They  serve  their  true 
purpose  in  being  so  forgotten.  They  are  still 
serving  and  serving  best  even  while  forgotten. 

The  Real  Thing  of  Light. 

And  John  goes  on  to  intensify  yet  more  what 
he  is  thinking  and  saying  :  there  was  the  true  light. 


The  Wooing  Lover  8l 

flie  real  thing  of  light  They  were  bothered,  in 
John's  old  age  when  he  is  writing,  with  false 
lights,  make- pretend  lights,  that  led  people 
astray.  Every  generation  seems  to  have  been 
so  bothered  and  confused.  And  even  our  own 
doesn't  seem  to  have  entirely  escaped  the  subtle 
contagion.  The  ground  is  a  bit  swampy  in 
places,  boggy. 

Low-lying  land  runs  to  bog  and  swamp.  And 
the  air  gets  thick  with  heavy  vapours.  And 
strange  will-of-the-wisp  lights  form  out  of  the 
foul  damp  gasses,  and  they  flit  about  in  the 
gloom  this  way  and  that.  And  people  are  led 
astray  by  them  deeper  into  swamp  and  bog.  It's 
surprising  to  find  how  many,  that  grow  up  in 
well-lit  neighbourhoods,  wander  off  after  the 
swamp  lights,  and  even  follow  them  so  content- 
edly. That's  partly  due,  without  doubt,  to  the 
false  lights  borrowing  so  much  of  the  mere  outer 
incidentals  from  the  true.  And  they  succeed  in 
producing  a  make-up  that  easily  deceives  the  un- 
wary and  untaught. 

There's  a  teaching  to-day,  for  instance,  that 
magnifies  bodily  healing.  The  name  of  Christ 
is  freely  used.  And  the  old  Book  of  God  freely 
quoted.  And  men  are  really  healed.  There  can 
be  no  question  of  that.  There  are  sufficient  facts 
at  hand  to  make  that  incoutestably  clear. 

But  bodily  healing  does  not  necessarily  argue 
divine  power.  There  are  results  secured  through 
the  operation  of  unfamiliar  mental  powers  that 
seem  miraculous.  And  clearly  there  are  devilish 
miracles  as  well  as  divine.     Miracles  simply  re- 


82        Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

veal  a  supernatural  power,  that  is,  a  power  above 
the  ordinary  workings  of  nature.  Then  one  must 
apply  a  touchstone,  a  test,  to  learn  what  that 
power  is. 

It  is  striking  that  in  this  teaching  I  speak  of 
now  there  is  never  mention  of  the  atoning  blood 
of  Christ.  And  this  is  the  sure  touchstone  by 
which  to  detect  the  real  thing  of  light  and  the 
make-believe.  The  outstanding  thing  in  the  life 
of  Christ  is  His  death,  and  the  tremendous  mean- 
ing which  His  own  teaching  put  into  that  fact  of 
His  death. 

There  is  none  of  the  red  tinge  to  this  make- 
believe  light.  It  has  the  unwholesome  unnatural 
tingeing  of  swamp  lights.  And  those  who  are 
healed  through  this  teaching  will  find  themselves 
in  a  bondage  the  more  terrible  because  so  subtle. 
And  only  the  power  of  the  blood  of  Christ  can 
ever  break  that  bondage. 

There  was  the  real  thing  of  light.  Here  is  the 
real  thing  of  light.  There's  a  distinct  tingeing 
of  red  in  it.  It's  the  only  light.  It  only  is  the 
light.  Every  other  is  a  make-pretend  light, 
however  subtle  its  imitations  and  reflections  :  it 
will  lead  only  into  swamp  and  bog  and  ditch  and 
worse. 

And  then  John  goes  on  to  add  a  very  simple 
bit  that  has  not  always  been  quite  understood  in 
its  simplicity.  There  was  the  real  thing  of  light 
that  Uffhteth  every  man  that  comeih  into  the  world. 
There  is  a  little  group  of  varied  readings  into  the 
English  here,  found  in  the  margin  of  the  various 
revisions.     But  the  central  statement  remains  the 


The  Wooing  Lover  83 

same.  Whether  John  is  saying  that  the  light, 
that  lighteth  every  man,  was  now  coming  down 
into  the  world  in  a  closer  way.  Or,  that  every 
man  is  lighted  as  he  comes  into  the  world,  the 
chief  thing  being  told  is  the  same.  Every  man 
in  the  world  is  lighted  by  this  Light. 

Through  nature,  the  nightly  twinklers  in  the 
wondrous  blue  overhead,  the  unfailing  freshness 
of  the  green  out  of  the  brown  under  foot ;  through 
the  never-ceasing  wonders  of  these  bodies  of  ours, 
so  awesomely  and  skilfully  made,  and  kept  go- 
ing ;  through  that  clear  quiet  inner  voice  that 
does  speak  in  every  human  heart  amidst  all  the 
noises  of  earth  and  of  passion  5  through  these  the 
light  is  shining,  noiselessly,  softly,  endlessly,  by 
day  and  night. 

It  is  the  same  identical  light  that  John  is  tell- 
ing us  of  here  that  so  shines  in  upon  every  man, 
and  always  has.  There  is  no  light  but  His.  His 
later  name  is  Jesus.  From  the  first,  and  every- 
where still,  it  is  the  light  that  shines  from  Him 
that  lights  men.  He  was  with  the  Father  in  the 
beginning.  He  acted  for  the  Father  in  that  crea- 
tion week.  He  gave  and  sustained  all  life  of 
every  sort  everywhere,  and  does,  though  only  a 
third  of  us  know  His  later,  nearer,  newer  Name 
— Jesus. 

But  the  light  was  obscured,  terribly  beclouded 
and  bedimmed,  hindered  by  earth-fogs,  and 
swampy  clouds  rising  up,  until  we  are  apt  to 
think  there  was  no  light,  and  is  none ;  only 
darkness.  Then  He  came  closer,  and  yet  closer. 
He  came  in  nearer  form  so  as  to  get  the  light 


84        Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

closer,  and  let  it  shine  through  fog  and  cloud,  for 
the  sake  of  the  befogged,  beswamped  crowd. 

And  then — ah  !  hold  your  heart  still — then  He 
let  the  Light-holder,  the  great  human  Lantern,  be 
broken,  utterly  broken,  that  so  the  light  might 
flash  out  through  broken  lantern  in  its  sweet  soft 
wondrous  clearness  into  our  blinded  blinking 
eyes,  and  show  us  the  real  way  back  home.  It 
was  in  that  breaking  that  it  got  that  wondrous 
exquisite  red  tingeing  that  becomes  the  unfailing 
hall-mark,  the  unmistakable  evidence  of  the  real 
thing  of  light. 

And  it's  only  as  men  know  of  this  latest  com- 
ing of  the  light,  this  tremendous  tragic  Jesus- 
coming  of  the  light,  that  they  can  come  into  the 
full  light.  That's  the  reason  He  came  in  the 
way  He  did.  That's  the  reason  when  He  gets 
possession  of  us  there's  the  passion  to  take  the 
full  Jesus-light  out  to  every  one.  And  this 
passion  burns  in  us  and  through  us,  and  ours, 
and  sweeps  all  in  the  sweep  of  its  tender  holy 
flame.  In  this  way  every  man  may  be  fully  lit, 
and  so  in  following  the  Jesus-light  he  shall  not 
walk  in  the  darkness  where  he  has  been,  but  in 
the  sweet  clear  light  of  life. 

Looking  for  Recognition, 

Then  we  come  to  the  first  of  John's  heart- 
breaking sentences.  John  had  a  hard  time  writ- 
ing his  Gospel.  He  was  not  simply  writing  a 
book.  That  might  have  been  fairly  easy  for  him 
with  his  personal  knowledge  and  all  the  facts  so 


The  Wooing  Lover  85 

familiar.  But  he  is  telling  about  his  dearest 
Friend.  And  the  telling  makes  his  heart  throb 
harder,  and  his  eyes  fill  up,  and  the  writing 
look  dim  to  him,  as  he  tries  to  put  the  words 
down. 

Listen  :  He  teas  in  the  ivorld,  and  the  world  was 
made  through  Sim,  and  the  world  recognized^  or 
rather  acknowledged,  Him  not.  It  was  His  world. 
His  child.  His  creation.  He  had  made  it.  But 
it  failed  to  acknowledge  Him.  He  came  walk- 
ing down  the  street  of  life.  He  met  the  world 
going  the  other  way.  And  He  gave  it  a  warm 
good-morning  greeting.  And  it  knew  Him  full 
well.  It  knew  who  He  was.  But  it  turned  its 
face  aside  and  walked  by  with  no  return  greeting. 
This  is  what  John  is  saying.  It  recognized,  it 
acknowledged  Him  not. 

You  mothers  know  the  glad  hour  that  comes  in 
a  mother's  life  when  her  little  babe  of  the  wee 
weeks  knows  her  for  the  first  time.  She's  busy 
bathing  or  nursing,  or,  she's  just  hovering  over 
the  precious  morsel  of  humanity  when  there's 
really  nothing  needing  to  be  done.  And  the 
babe's  eyes  catch  her  own  and  a  smile  comes,  the 
first  smile  of  recognition.  And  the  mother-heart 
gives  a  glad  leap.  She  murmurs  to  herself, 
*^Oh,  baby  knows  me  !  " 

And  when  the  father  comes  home  that  night 
she  greets  him  with,  ''Baby  knew  me  to-day." 
And  there's  a  soft  bell-like  tender  ring  in  her 
voice  that  vibrates  on  the  strings  of  his  heart. 
And  all  the  folks  within  range  are  advised  of 
the  day's  event.     And  the  mother  clear  forgets 


86        Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

all  the  sharp-cutting  paiu  back  there  just  a  little 
before,  iu  this  joy,  this  look  of  recognition. 

I  knew  of  a  woman.  She  was  of  an  old  family, 
of  unusual  native  gift,  and  rare  accomplishment. 
And  her  babe  came.  And  the  time  came  when 
ordinarily  there  would  be  that  first  sweet  look  of 
recognition,  but — it  didn't  come.  There  was  a 
defect ;  something  not  as  it  should  be.  And 
you  mothers  all  know  how  she  felt,  yes,  and  you 
true  fathers,  too.  She  was  heart-broken.  And 
she  turned  aside  from  all  the  busy  round  of 
activity  in  which  she  had  been  the  natural  leader. 
And  for  years  she  devoted  all  her  splendid 
talents,  her  strength  and  time,  to  just  one  thing, 
a  very  simple  thing  ;  only  this, — getting  a  look  of 
glad  recognition  out  of  two  babe-eyes. 

He  looked  into  the  face  of  His  child.  His  world, 
for  the  look  of  recognition.  But  there  was  none. 
And  He  was  heart-broken.  And  He  devoted  all 
His  strength  and  time,  Himself,  for  those  human 
years  to — what?  One  things  just  one  thing,  a 
very  simple  thing,  only  this :  to  getting  a  look 
of  recognition  out  of  the  eyes  of  His  child. 

Aye,  there's  more  yet  here.  He  loohs  into  our 
faces,  eager  for  that  simple  direct  answering  look 
into  His  face  and  out  of  our  eyes,  yours  and 
mine.  And  we  give  Him— things,  church-mem- 
bership, orthodox  belief,  intense  activity,  aggres- 
sive missionary  propaganda,  money  in  good 
measure,  tireless,  and  then  tired -out  service — 
things  !  And  all  good  things.  But  the  thing,  the 
direct  look  into  His  own  face  answering  His  own 
hungry  searching  look,  that  look  in  the  face  that 


The  Wooing  Lover  87 

reveals  the  inner  heart  that  He  icaits  for  so  often, 
and  waits,  a  bit  sore  at  heart. 

For  you  know  the  eye  is  the  face  of  the  face. 
It's  the  doorway  into  the  soul,  out  through 
which  the  soul,  the  man  within,  looks.  I  look 
at  you,  the  man  inside  here  looks  out  at  you 
through  my  eye.  And  I  look  at  the  real  you 
down  through  your  eye.  The  real  man  is  hidden 
away  within,  but  looks  out  through  the  eye  and 
is  looked  at  only  through  the  eye.  We  really 
give  ourselves  to  Jesus  in  the  look  direct  into 
His  face  which  tells  Him  all,  and  through  which 
He  transforms  us. 


/I  Heart-breaking  Verse. 

Then  comes  John's  second  heart-breaking 
verse ;  but  it  is  just  a  bit  more  heart-breaking 
in  what  it  says.  Listen :  He  came  to  His  own 
home,  and  they  that  were  His  own  Jcinsfolk  received 
Him  not  into  the  house  but  Jcept  Him  standing  out  in 
the  cold  and  storm  of  the  wintry  night. 

One  of  you  men  goes  home  to-night  It's  your 
own  home,  shaped  on  your  own  personality 
through  the  years.  It's  a  bit  late.  You've  had 
a  long  hard  day.  You're  tired.  It's  stormy. 
The  wind  and  the  rain  chill  you  as  you  turn  the 
corner.  And  you  pull  your  coat  a  bit  snugger 
as  you  quicken  your  steps  and  think  of  home, 
warmth  and  comfort,  loved  ones,  and  rest  for 
body  and  spirit,  too. 

As  you  come  to  the  door  you  reach  for  your 
latch-key,  and  find,  in  the  busy  rush^  you  seem 


88        Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

to  have  forgotten  it,  somehow.  So  you  ring  the 
bell  or  knock.  And  suppose — be  patient  with  me 
a  bit,  please.  Suppose  your  loved  ones  know 
you're  there.  You  even  see  a  hand  drawing 
aside  the  edge  of  the  window  shade,  and  two  eyes 
that  you  know  so  well  peer  out  through  the 
crack  at  you  ;  then  the  shade  goes  to  again. 
Yes,  they  know  you're  there.  But  the  door, 
your  own  door,  doesn't  open.  How  would  you 
feel? 

And  some  one  says  to  himself,  "That's  not  a 
good  illustration.  That  thing  couldn't  happen. 
It  isn't  natural."  No  :  you're  right.  It  isn't 
natural.  It  could  not  happen  to  you.  1  am  sure 
it  could  not  happen  to  me.  If  it  could  I'd  be 
heart-broken.  But  this  is  what  happened  to  Sim  ! 
This  is  what  John  is  saying  here.  He  came  to 
His  own  front  door,  and  they  whose  very  image 
revealed  their  close  kinship  to  Him,  received 
Him  not  into  the  home,  but  kept  the  door  fast  in 
His  face. 

Then  there's  a  later  translation.  This  old 
King  James  version  bears  the  date  of  1611,  I 
think.  And  the  English  Revision  is  dated  1881, 
I  believe.  And  this  American  Standard  Revi- 
sion I  am  using  has  1901  on  its  title  page.  But 
there's  a  later  revision.  It  bears  a  yet  later  date, 
1915,  April  27.  But  it  is  a  shifting  date.  Each 
translator  fixed  his  own  date. 

This  latest  translation  runs  something  like 
this  :  He  comes  to  His  own.  That's  you  and  my- 
self. We  belong  to  Him.  He  gave  His  breath 
to  us  in  Eden.     He  gave  His  breath  to  you  and 


The  Wooing  Lover  89 

me  at  our  birth.  He  gave  His  blood  for  us  on 
Calvary.  We  belong  to  Him.  The  image  of 
His  kiuship  is  stamped  upon  us.  We  may  not 
acknowledge  it,  but  that  can't  change  the  fact. 

He  comes  to  His  own,  and  His  own — and  here, 
as  the  scholars  would  say,  there  are  variant  read- 
ings. Let  me  give  you  one  or  two  I  have  found. 
Here  is  one  :  He  comes  to  His  own,  and  His  own 
— puts  a  chair  outside  the  door  on  the  top-step. 
It's  a  large  armchair  with  a  cushion  in,  perhaps. 
And  then  His  own  talks  about  Him  through  the 
crack  of  the  door,  or  likelier,  the  window.  It's 
reckoned  safer  to  keep  the  door  fast. 

Listen  to  what  he  says  :  ' '  He's  a  wonderful  man 
this  Jesus  ;  great  teacher,  the  greatest ;  the  great- 
est man  of  the  race  ;  His  philosophy,  His  moral 
standards  are  the  ideals ;  wonderful  life  ;  great 
example."  They  fairly  exhaust  the  language  in 
talking  about  this  Man.  But  notice.  It  seems  a 
bit  queer.  The  man  they're  talking  about  is  out- 
side the  door.  His  own  claim  is  left  severely  out- 
side. 

Some  make  it  read  like  this  :  He  comes  to  His 
own,  and  they  who  are  His  own  open  the  door  a 
crackj  maybe  a  fairly  respectably  wide  crack. 
We  all  like  the  word  Saviour.  Yes,  we  cling 
tenaciously  to  that.  Selfishly,  would  you  say? 
We  want  to  be  saved  from  a  certain  place  we 
think  of  as  down,  that  we've  been  taught  about, 
and  don't  want  to  go  to — if  ifs  there}  the  way 
men  talk  about  it  to-day. 

And  we  want  to  be  saved  into  another  certain 
place  we  think  of  as  up,  and  where  we  surely 


90        Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

want  to  go  after  we  get  through  down  on  the  earth, 
and  must  go  away  somewhere  else  ;  with  that 
''after"  and  *'must"  carefully  underscored. 
And  we  want  to  be  saved  from  all  the  inconveni- 
ences possible  along  the  way,  and  to  secure  all  the 
advantages  and  help  available :  yes,  yes,  open  the 
door  a  crack. 

But  be  careful  about  the  width  of  the  opened 
crack.  Let  it  be  just  the  proper  conventionalized 
width.  Let  there  be  no  extremeism  about  the 
wideness  of  that  opening.  Things  must  be 
proper.  For  what  would  the  other  crack -open- 
door-owners  think  ? 

And  then,  too,  yet  more  serious,  this  Jesus  has 
a  way,  a  most  inconsiderate  way  of  coming  in 
as  far  as  you  let  Him,  and  of  taking  things  into 
His  own  hands.  Certain  people  use  that  word 
' '  inconsiderate ' ' — to  themselves,  in  secret.  Jesus 
changes  some  things  when  He  is  allowed  all  the 
way  in.  He  might  change  your  personal  habits, 
your  home  arrangements,  some  of  your  social 
customs  and  your  business  plans. 

Of  course  He  changes  only  what  needs  chang- 
ing, as  He  sees  it.  But — then — you — well,  some 
things  can  be  carried  too  far — to  suit  you.  This 
Jesus  has  the  all  habit.  He  contracted  it  when 
He  was  down  on  the  earth.  Our  needs  grew  the 
habit.  He  gave  all.  And  He  has  a  way  of  com- 
ing in  all  the  way,  and  of  reaching  in  His  pierced 
hand  and  talcing  all. 

He  might  even  put  His  hand  in  on  that  most 
sacred  thing,  that  holiest  of  all,  that  you  guard 
most  jealously — that  box.     It  has  heavy  hinges, 


The  Wooing  Lover  91 

and  double  padlocks,  and  the  keys  are  held  hard 
under  the  thumb  of  your  will.  Of  course  there  may 
really  not  be  much  iu  it  5  and  again  there  may  be 
very  much.  But  much  or  little,  it  is  securely 
kept  uuder  that  thick  broad  thumb  of  yours. 

Oh  !  you  give ;  of  course ;  yes,  yes,  we're  all 
good  proper  Christian  folk  here.  "We  give 
a  tenth,  aud  even  much  more.  We  support  an 
aggressive  missionary  propaganda.  That's  the 
thing,  you  know,  in  our  day,  for  good  church 
people.  We  give  to  all  the  good  things.  Ye-es, 
no  doubt.  Aud  we  are  very  careful,  too,  that 
that  inconsiderate  Hand  shall  not  disturb  the 
greater  bulk  that  remains  between  hinge  and 
lock.  That's  yours.  Of  course  you  are  His,  re- 
deemed, saved  by  His  blood. 

Well,  well,  how  these  pronouns,  ''His," 
"ours,"  do  get  mixed  up!  How  lovely  some 
things  are  to  sing  about,  in  church,  and  special 
services,  at  Keswick  and  Northfield.  But 
thi'ough  it  all  we  hold  hard  to  that  key,  we  don't 
let  go — even  to  Him,  though  it  is  He  who  entrusts 
all  to  our  temporary  keeping.  We  do  guard  the 
width  of  that  opening  crack,  do  we  not  ? 

One  day  I  looked  through  that  crack  and 
caught  a  glimpse  of  His  face  looking  through  full 
in  my  own,  with  those  eyes  of  His.  And  at  first 
I  wanted  to  take  the  door  clear  off  of  its  hinges 
and  stand  it  outside  against  the  bricks,  and  leave 
the  whole  door-space  wide  for  Him. 

But  I've  learned  better.  No  man  wants  to 
leave  the  doorway  of  his  life  unguarded.  He 
must  keep   the  strong  hand  of  his  controlling 


92        Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

purpose  on  the  knob  of  the  front  door  of  his  life. 
There  are  others  than  He,  evil  ones,  cunningly 
subtle  ones,  standing  just  at  the  corner  watching 
for  such  an  opportunity.  And  they  step  quickly 
slyly  in  under  your  untaught  unsuspicious  eyes, 
and  get  things  badly  tangled  in  your  life.  There's 
a  better,  a  stronger  way. 

Here's  the  personal  translation  that  I  try  now, 
by  His  help,  to  work  out  into  living  words,  the 
language  of  life.  He  comes  to  His  own,  and  His 
own  opens  the  door  wide,  and  liolds  it  wide  open, 
that  He  may  come  in  all  the  way,  and  cleanse, 
and  change,  readjust,  and  then  shape  over  on  the 
shape  of  His  own  presence. 

But  every  one  must  work  out  his  own  transla- 
tion of  that ;  and  every  one  does.  And  the  crowd 
reads — not  this  printed  version.  It  reads  this 
other  translation,  the  one  nearest,  iu  such  big 
print,  the  one  our  lives  work  out  daily.  That's 
the  translation  they  prefer.  And  that's  the 
translation  they're  being  influenced  by,  and  in- 
fluenced by  tremendously. 

He  Came  to  His  Own. 

In  certain  circles  in  England,  they  tell  of  a  cer- 
tain physician  years  ago.  He  came  of  a  very 
humble  family.  His  father  was  a  gardener  on  a 
gentleman's  estate.  And  the  father  died.  And 
the  mother  wasn't  able  to  pay  her  son's  schooling. 
But  a  storekeeper  in  the  village  liked  this  little 
bright  boy  and  sent  him  to  school.  And  he  went 
on  through  the  higher  schooling,  became  a  phy- 


The  Wooing  Lover  93 

sician,  and  began  his  practice  in  London.  He 
became  skilled,  and  then  famous,  and  then 
wealthy. 

He  remembered  his  dear  old  mother,  of  course. 
He  sent  her  money,  and  fabrics  for  dresses,  and 
wrote  her.  But  for  a  long  time,  in  the  busy  ab- 
sorption of  his  life,  he  had  not  been  to  see  her. 
And  the  dear  old  mother  in  the  little  cottage  in 
the  country  lived  in  the  sweet  consciousness  that 
her  son  was  a  great  physician  up  in  the  great 
London.  He  was  her  chief  topic  of  conversation. 
When  the  neighbours  were  in  she  would  always 
talk  of  her  son,  her  Laddie,  she  called  him. 

"  He's  so  good  to  me,  my  Laddie  is.  He  sends 
me  money.  I  put  it  in  the  bank.  He  sends  me 
cloth  for  di-esses ;  it's  quite  too  good  for  a  plain 
body  like  me.  And  he  writes  me  letters,  such 
good  letters,  wonderful  letters.  But  he's  so  busy 
up  there,  that  he  hasn't  been  to  see  me  for  a  long 
time  now.  You  know  he's  a  great  doctor  now, 
and  he  has  great  skill,  and  there  are  so  many 
needing  him.  And  he's  no  time  at  all,  even  for 
himself,  I  expect.  But  "—she  would  always  finish 
her  talk  as  they  sat  over  the  tea  by  saying,  half 
to  herself,  really  more  to  herself  than  to  the  little 
group,  with  a  half- repressed  longing  sigh,  ''but, 
I  wish,  I  just  wish  I  could  see  my  Laddie.''^ 

Then  some  changes  took  place  on  the  estate. 
And  the  cottage  where  she  had  lived  so  long  must 
be  given  up.  And  the  dear  old  woman  had  to 
make  new  plans.  And  she  cudgeled  her  old  head, 
and  thought,  and  at  last  she  said  to  herself,  "I 
know  what  I'll  do.     I'll  go  up  to  London,  and  I'll 


94        Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

live  with  Laddie.  He'll  be  so  glad  to  have  me. " 
And  bright-coloured  visions  flitted  through  her 
mind,  as  she  sat  over  her  tea  by  the  open  grate. 
But  she  wouldn't  send  him  word  j  no,  no,  she 
would  surprise  him,  and  add  to  his  pleasure. 

And  the  dear  old  soul,  in  her  fine  simplicity, 
did  not  think  into  what  this  would  mean,  nor  of 
the  difference  that  had  grown  up  with  the  years, 
in  manner  of  life,  between  her  son  and  herself. 
He  was  a  cultured  gentleman,  with  his  well-ap- 
pointed city  home,  and  the  circle  of  friends 
that  had  grown  up  about  him.  And  she  was  a 
simple  uncultured  country  woman  with  a  broad 
provincial  twist  on  her  tongue.  But  she  was 
blissfully  unconscious  of  this.  She  would  go  and 
live  with  her  Laddie.  It  would  be  so  delightful 
for  them  both. 

And  so  she  went.  It  was  her  first  train  jour- 
ney, and  quite  a  time  of  it  she  had  finding  the 
house.  But  at  last  she  stands  looking  up  at  the 
house.  ^'Ugh!  does  my  Laddie  live  here?  in 
this  great  mansion'?"  But  there  was  the  name 
on  the  door-plate.  There  was  no  mistaking  that. 
And  so  she  rang  the  bell.  "  Is  the  doctor  in  ?  " 
She  could  hardly  get  the  word  "doctor"  out. 
She  had  never  called  him  that  before,  just  Laddie. 
But  now  she  must  say  it.  "  Is  the  doctor  in  ?  " 
And  the  word  almost  stuck  in  her  throat  as  she 
thought  to  herself,  "  This  poor  man  opening  the 
door  doesn't  know  that  the  '  doctor '  really  be- 
longs to  me." 

But  in  a  hard  voice  the  servant  said  that  it  was 
past  the  hours.     She  couldn't  see  the  doctor. 


The  Wooing  Lover  95 

"  Ah  !  but,"  she  said,  quite  taken  by  surprise 
at  being  held  there,  "  I  must  see  him." 

''  But,  I  tell  you,  it's  quite  too  late  to  see  him 
to-day." 

But  she  resolutely  put  her  stout  country-boot 
in  the  crack  of  the  door,  and  her  English  jaw  set 
in  true  English  fashion,  and  she  said  with  that 
quietness  that  has  the  subtle  touch  of  danger 
in  it,  ''  I'll  see  the  doctor." 

And  the  servant  looked  puzzled  and  went  to 
report  about  this  strangely  insistent  woman. 
And  the  doctor  was  annoyed  by  the  interruption 
in  the  midst  of  something  that  was  absorbing 
him.  He  said  sharply,  "It's  past  the  hours;  I 
can  see  no  one." 

**I  told  her  so,  sir,"  replied  the  man  deferen- 
tially, "  but  she  insists  in  a  strange  way,  sir." 

''What's  she  like?" 

'*  Oh,  just  a  plain  country  body,  sir." 

"  Well,  show  her  up." 

And  I  am  glad  to  remember  that  she  had  a 
warm  embrace  of  his  strong  arms,  as  he  instantly 
recognized  her  in  the  doorway,  while  the  servant 
stared.  Then  he  said  rather  nervously  as  the 
servant  discreetly  withdrew,  *'  How  did  you  hap- 
pen to  come  ?  Why  didn't  you  send  word  ?  Has 
anything  happened?"  And  then  as  she  sat  by 
the  fire  sippiug  a  cup  of  tea,  she  told  the  story, 
in  her  own  simple  slow  way,  and  ended  up  with, 
*'  And  now  I'm  coming  to  live  with  you,  Laddie.'' 
And  the  old  eyes  behind  the  spectacles  beamed, 
and  the  dear  old  wrinkled  face  glowed. 
And  he  poked  the  fire,  and  tried  to  think. 


96        Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

You  know,  our  Englisli  friends  depend  almost 
wholly  on  the  open  grate  fire,  as  we  do  so  largely 
in  the  South.  And  it's  a  great  thing,  is  the  open 
grate  fire.  It's  a  fire.  It  warms  your  body,  at 
least  in  front  in  extreme  weather.  But  it's  more 
than  a  fire.  It's  a  stimulus  to  thought.  It  re- 
freshes your  spirit,  and  rests  your  tired  nerves, 
and  it  is  a  wonderful  thing  to  help  you  unravel 
knotty  problems.  So  he  poked  the  fire  and 
thought,  while  she,  quite  unconscious  of  his  em- 
barrassment, went  on  sipping  her  tea  and  talking. 

It  would  never  do  to  have  her  come  there,  he 
thought.  And  his  thoughts  went  to  the  circle  of 
friends  at  the  dinner  table  in  the  evening,  and  to 
the  critical  city  servants  that  ran  his  bachelor  es- 
tablishment. And  just  then  his  ear  caught  anew 
the  broad  provincial  twist  on  her  tongue.  He 
had  never  noticed  it  so  broad,  so  decided,  before. 
And  she  was  talking  the  small  countryside  talk, 
chickens  and  an  epidemic  among  them.  And 
that  grated  strangely.  It  certainly  wouldn't  do 
to  have  her  come  there. 

Then  the  tide  began  to  rise  gently  on  the  beach 
of  his  heart.  He  thought,  "She's  my  mother. 
And  if  mother  wants  to  come  here,  here  sh* 
comes. "  And  he  straightened  up  in  his  chair, 
as  he  gave  a  gentler  touch  to  a  blazing  lump  of 
coal.  Then  the  tide  ebbed.  It  began  running 
out  again.  "No,  it  would  hardly  do."  And  he 
poked  and  thought.  Finally  he  broke  into  her 
run  of  talk. 

^ '  Mother,  you  know  it  is  not  very  healthful 
herCo     We    have    bad    fogs    in    London,     And 


The  Wooing  Lover  97 

you're  used  to  the  wholesome  country  air.  It 
wouldn't  agree  with  you  here,  I'm  afraid.  I'll 
get  a  little  cottage  on  the  edge  of  town,  and  I'll 
come  and  see  you  very  often. " 

And  the  dear  old  woman  sensed  at  once  just 
what  he  was  thinking.  She  was  not  stupid,  if 
she  was  just  a  plain  homely  body.  He  got  his 
brains  from  his  simple  country  mother,  as  many 
a  mau  of  note  has  done.  But  she  spoke  not  of 
what  she  felt.  She  simply  said,  with  that  quiet- 
ness which  grows  out  of  strong  self-control : 

"It's  a  bit  late  the  night,  Laddie,  I'm  think- 
ing, to  be  talking  about  new  plans." 

And  he  said  softly,  ' '  Forgive  me,  mother  :  it 
is  late,  I  forgot."  And  he  showed  her  to  her 
sleeping  apartment. 

"And  where  do  you  sleep.  Laddie  1 " 

"Eight  here,  mother,  this  first  door  on  the 
left.     Be  sure  to  call  me  if  you  need  anything. " 

And  he  bade  her  a  tender  "good-night,"  and 
went  back  to  his  study  to  do  some  more  thinking 
and  planning.  And  very  late  he  came  up  to  his 
sleeping-chamber.  And  he  was  just  cuddling  his 
head  into  the  soft  pillow  for  the  night,  when  the 
door  opened,  so  softly,  and  in  there  came  a  little 
body  in  simple  white  night  garb,  with  a  quaint 
old-fashioned  nightcap  on,  candle  in  hand.  She 
came  in  very  softly.     And  he  started  up. 

"  Mother,  are  you  ill  ?    What's  the  matter  ?  " 

And  she  came  over  very  quietly,  and  put  down 
the  candle  on  the  table  before  she  answered. 
And  then  softly  : 

"No,  no,  Laddie,  I'm  not  ill.     I  Just  came  tc 


98        Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

tuck  you  in  for  the  night  as  I  used  to  do  at  home.. 
.     .     .     Lie  still,  my  Laddie. " 

And  she  tucked  the  clothes  about  his  neck,  and 
smoothed  his  hair,  and  patted  his  cheek,  and 
kissed  his  face.  And  she  crooned  over  him  as 
mother  with  little  child.  The  years  were  quite 
forgot.  She  had  her  little  son  again.  And  she 
talked  mother's  love-talk  to  a  child.  "  Good- 
night, Laddie  .  .  .  good-night 
good- night  .  .  .  mother's  own  boy."  And 
a  little  more  tucking  and  smoothing  and  patting 
and  kissing,  and  then  she  turned  so  quietly, 
picked  up  the  candle,  and  went  out,  closing  the 
door  so  softly,  her  great  strength  revealed  in  her 
gentleness. 

And  he  was  just  on  the  point  of  starting  up 
and  saying,  *' Mother,  you  must  stay  with  me, 
right  here  " — no,  the  morning  will  do,  he  thought. 
But  when  the  morning  came  she  wasn't  down  for 
breakfast.  And  when  he  went  to  her  room  she 
wasn't  there.  It  turned  out  afterwards  that  she 
had  said  to  herself,  "It  doesn't  suit  ray  Laddie's 
plans  to  have  me  here.  I  don't  understand  why. 
It  isn't  his  fault  at  all.  It  just  doesn't  suit.  And 
I'll  never  be  a  trouble  to  my  Laddie." 

And  so  with  that  rare  characteristic  English 
trait  of  independence,  she  had  quietly  gone  off 
early  that  morning  before  the  house  was  astir. 
And  he,  broken-hearted — I'm  always  glad  to  re- 
member that — he  searched  through  the  wilder- 
ness of  London  for  more  than  a  year,  searched 
diligently,  but  could  find  no  trace  of  her.  And 
then  he  was  graciously  permitted  to  minister  to 


The  Wooing  Lover  99 

her  last  hours  in  a  hospital  where  a  street  acci- 
dent had  sent  her  unconscious,  and  where  he  was 
chief  of  the  medical  staff. 

She  came  to  her  own  and  her  own  received  Iter 
not  He  loved  her,  but  it  didn't  suit  his  plans. 
He,  Jesus,  came  to  His  own,  and  His  own  re- 
ceived Him  not ;  it  didn't  suit  their  plans.  Ah ! 
listen  yet  further  :  He  comes  to  His  own,  you  and 
me,  and  His  own — you  finish  it.  Have  we  some 
plans,  too,  set  plans,  that  we  don't  propose  to 
change,  even  for — (softly)  even  for  Him  ?  Each 
of  us  is  finishing  that  sentence,  not  in  words  so 
much  if  at  all,  in  the  words  of  our  action.  And 
the  crowd  reads  our  translation. 

The  Oldest  Family. 

"But,"  John  goes  on.  That  was  a  steadying 
"but."  It  was  hard  on  John  to  recall  how  they 
treated  his  Friend  and  Master.  But  there  is  a 
"but."  There'  s  another  side,  an  offset  to  what 
he's  been  saying,  a  bright  bit  to  offset  the  black 
bit.  But  as  many  as  did  receive  Him.  Some  re- 
ceived. Jesus  was  rejected,  yes,  abominably,  con- 
temptibly rejected.  But  He  was  also  accepted, 
gladly,  joyously,  whole-  heartedly  accepted,  even 
though  it  came  to  mean  pain  and  shame. 

As  many  as  received  Him,  John  says,  He  re- 
ceived into  His  family.  The  conception  of  a 
family  and  of  a  home  where  the  family  lives, 
runs  all  through  underneath  here.  They  wonld 
not  receive  this  Jesus  because  He  didn't  belong 
to  the  inner  circle  of  the  old  families  which  they 


loo      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

represented.  They  regarded  themselves  as  the 
custodians  of  the  exclusive  aristocratic  circles  of 
Jerusalem.  Aud  Jerusalem  was  the  upper  circle 
of  Israel. 

Aud  every  one  knew  that  Israel  was  the  chief- 
est,  the  one  uppermost  nation,  of  the  earth,  with 
none  near  enough  to  be  classed  second.  They 
were  the  favourites  of  God,  all  the  rest  were 
"dogs  of  Gentiles,"  outsiders,  not  to  be  men- 
tioned in  the  same  breath.  To  these  national 
leaders  of  Jesus'  day,  this  was  the  very  breath  of 
their  life. 

* '  And  this  Jesus ! "  They  spat  on  the  ground  to 
relieve  the  intensity  of  their  contempt.  "  Who 
was  He  ?  A  peasant !  a  Galilean !  Nazareth  !  " 
Nazareth  was  put  in  as  a  sort  of  superlative  de- 
gree of  contempt.  Of  course,  they  could  easily 
have  found  out  about  the  lineage  of  Jesus.  In 
the  best  meaning  of  the  word,  Jesus  was  an  aristo- 
crat. Apart  from  its  philological  derivation  that 
word  means  one  who  traces  his  lineage  back 
through  a  worthy  line  for  a  long  way,  and  so 
one  who  has  the  noble  traits  of  such  lineage.  In 
the  best  meaning  of  the  word  Jesus  was  an  aristo- 
crat. His  line  traced  back  without  slip  or  break 
to  the  great  house  of  David,  and  that  meant  clear 
back  to  Adam.  The  records  were  all  there,  care- 
fully preserved,  indisputable.  They  could  easily 
have  found  this  out. 

I  recall  talking  one  day  in  London  with  a 
gentle  lady  of  an  old,  titled  Scottish  family,  an 
earnest  Christian,  trained  in  the  Latin  Church. 
In  the  course  of  the  conversation  she  remarked, 


The  Wooing  Lover  loi 

* '  Of  course,  Jesus  was  a  peasant. "  And  I  replied 
as  gently  as  I  could  so  as  not  to  seem  to  be  argu- 
ing, "  Of  course.  He  was  not  a  peasant.  He  chose 
to  live  as  a  peasant,  for  a  great  strong  purpose. 
But  He  was  an  aristocrat  in  blood.  His  family 
line  traced  directly  back  through  the  noblest 
families  clear  to  the  beginning.  No  one  living 
had  a  longer  unbroken  lineage.  And  that  is  the 
very  essence  of  aristocracy." 

In  some  circles,  they  count  much,  or  most,  on 
old  families.  In  certain  cities  of  our  own  country, 
east  and  south,  this  is  reckoned  as  the  hall-mark 
of  highest  distinction.  When  one  goes  across 
the  water  to  England  and  the  Continent,  he  finds 
the  old  families  of  America  are  rather  young 
affairs.  And  as  he  pushes  on  into  the  East,  some 
of  the  old  families  of  Europe  sometimes  seem 
fairly  recent.  I  remember  in  the  Orient  run- 
ning across  a  family  where  the  father  had  been 
a  Shinto  priest,  father  and  son  successively, 
through  forty-five  generations  ;  and  another 
where  the  father  of  the  family  has  been  suc- 
cessively a  court-musician  for  thirty-eight  gener- 
ations. I  thought  maybe  I  had  run  into  some 
really  old  families  at  last. 

I  come  of  a  rather  old  family  myself.  It  runs 
clear  back  without  break  or  slip  to  Adam  in 
Eden.  I've  not  bothered  much  with  tracing  it, 
for  there  are  some  pretty  plain  evidences  of  ugly 
stains  on  the  family  escutcheon,  running  all 
through,  and  repeatedly.  And  then  even  more 
than  that  I've  become  intensely  interested  in 
another  family,  an  older  family,  the  oldest  family 


102      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

of  all.  Arrangements  have  been  made  whereby 
I  have  been  taken  into  this  oldest  family  of  all 
with  full  rights  and  privileges.  My  claims  to 
aristocracy  are  now  of  the  very  highest,  with  all 
the  noble  obligations  that  go  with  it.  That's 
what  John  is  talking  of  here.  As  many  as  re- 
ceived Him,  He  received  into  His  family,  the  oldest 
family  of  all. 

These  people  refused  Jesus  because  He  didn't 
belong  to  their  set.  In  their  utterly  selfish  pre- 
judice and  wilful  ignorance,  these  leaders  shut 
Him  out  from  the  circles  they  controlled.  But 
with  great  graciousness  He  received  into  His 
circle  any,  of  any  circle,  high  or  low,  who  would 
receive  Him  into  their  hearts.  To  as  many  as  re- 
ceived Him  into  their  hearts  He  opened  the  door 
into  His  own  family.  He  gave  them  the  technical 
right  of  becoming  children  of  His  Father. 

Their  part  of  the  thing  is  put  very  simply  in 
two  ways.  They  believed.  They  were  told,  they 
listened  and  thought,  they  accepted  as  true,  they 
risked  what  they  counted  most  precious,  they 
loved.  So  they  believed.  And  so  they  received. 
The  door  opened,  the  inner  door,  the  heart  door. 
He  went  in.  That  settled  things  for  them.  When 
He  graciously  entered  their  hearts,  the  inner 
citadel  of  their  lives,  that  settled  their  place  in 
this  oldest  family  of  all. 

How  We  Don't  Get  In,  and  How  We  Do. 

It  is  of  intensest  interest  in  our  day  to  have 
John  go  on  to  tell,  in  his  own  simple  taking  way. 


The  Wooing  Lover  103 

jast  how  we  get  into  this  God -family.  First  of 
all,  he  tells  us  how  we  do7iH  get  in.  Listen: 
"wo^  of  blood,^'  that  is,  not  by  our  natural  gene- 
ration ;  "  nor  of  the  will  of  the  Jlesh,^^  that  is,  not 
by  anything  we  can  do  of  ourselves,  though  this 
has  a  place,  a  distinctly  secondary  place;  "nor 
of  the  loill  of  man,^^  that  is,  not  by  what  somebody 
else  can  do  for  us,  though  this  too  has  its  place. 

These  are  the  three  "wo/5"  ;  the  three  ways 
we  are  not  saved.  And  it  becomes  of  iutensest 
interest  to  notice  that  these  are  the  very  three 
ways  that  the  crowd  is  emphasizing  to-day, 
some  this,  others  that,  as  the  way  of  being 
savedc  The  three  modern  words  we  commonly 
use  for  these  three  "uots"  of  John  are,  family, 
culture,  and  influence. 

Some  of  us  seem  to  be  fully  expecting  to  walk 
into  the  presence  of  God,  and  to  get  all  there  is 
to  be  gotten  there,  because  of  the  family  we  be- 
long to.  This  is  probably  stronger  in  some  of  us 
than  we  are  conscious  of.  It's  a  matter  of  blood 
with  us,  our  blood,  our  natural  generation.  We 
take  greatest  pride  in  showing  what  blood  it  is 
that  runs  in  our  veins.  We  trace  the  line  far 
back  to  those  whose  names  are  well  known. 
And  this  sort  of  thing  has  overpowering  in- 
fluence in  our  human  affairs  down  here. 

His  gracious  majesty  King  George  is  King  of 
England,  because  he  is  the  child  of  Edward  and 
Alexandra.  His  one  and  only  claim  to  the 
English  throne  is  that  at  the  time  of  accession 
he  was  their  oldest  living  son.  But  that  won't 
figure  a  farthing's  worth  when  he  comes  up  to 


104      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

the  hearthfire  of  God's  family.  And  I  think  he 
understands  this  full  well.  I'm  expecting  to  see 
him  there ;  not  as  King  of  England,  but  as  a 
brother. 

It  is  not  a  matter  of  blood.  It's  a  blessed 
thing  to  be  well-born.  It  makes  a  tremendous 
difference  to  have  the  blood  of  an  old  noble 
family  in  one's  veins,  if  it  is  good  clean  blood. 
But  it'll  never  save  us.  Salvation  is  not  by 
lineal  descent,  not  by  family  line.  It  is  ''not 
of  blood."    John  clears  that  ground. 

Some  of  us  put  great  stress  on  what  we  are  in 
ourselves.  This  looms  big  with  a  great  crowd 
scattered  throughout  the  earth.  We  know  so 
much.  "We  have  gotten  it  by  dint  of  hard  work. 
"We  can  do  some  things  so  skilfully.  "We  have 
worked  into  positions  of  great  power  amoug 
men.  Our  names  are  known.  Sometimes  they 
are  spelled  in  large  letters. 

The  broad  word  for  this  is  culture,  what  we 
have  gained  and  gotten  by  our  effort,  of  that 
which  is  reckoned  good,  and  which  is  good. 
Culture  is  one  of  the  chief  words  in  our  language 
to-day.  Whether  spelled  the  English  way  or 
the  German,  it  looms  big.  It  is  one  of  our 
modern  tidbits.  It  is  chewed  on  much,  and 
•pleases  our  palate  greatly.  And  culture  is  good, 
if  it  is  good  culture. 

But,  have  you  noticed,  that  you  have  to  have 
a  thing  before  you  can  culture  it  ?  No  amount 
of  the  choicest  culture  will  get  an  apple  out  of  a 
turnip,  nor  a  Bartlett  pear  out  of  a  potato,  nor 
make  a  Chinese  into  an  Englishman,   nor  an 


The  Wooing  Lover  105 

American  into  a  Japanese.  Culture  can  improve 
the  stock,  but  it  can't  change  it.  It  takes  some 
other  power  than  culture  to  change  the  kind. 
Here  we  have  to  be  made  of  the  same  kind  as 
they  are  up  in  the  old  family  of  God.  There 
must  be  a  change  at  the  core.  Then  culture  of 
that  new  stock  is  only  good  and  blessed. 

This  is  John's  second  "not."  It  seems  rather 
radical.  It  completely  undercuts  so  much  of  our 
present  day  notions.  If  John  is  right,  some  of 
us  are  wrong,  radically,  dangerously  wrong. 
Yet  John  had  a  wonderful  Teacher  whom  he 
lived  with  for  a  while.  And  after  He  had  gone, 
John  had  another  Teacher,  unseen  but  very  real, 
who  guided,  especially  in  the  writing  of  the  old 
Jesus-story.  The  whole  presumption  is  in  favour 
of  John's  way  of  it  being  wholly  right.  And  if 
that  makes  us  wrong,  we  would  better  be  grate- 
ful to  find  it  out  noic,  while  there's  time  to  change. 
Being  saved  is  not  a  matter  of  what  we  can  do, 
of  our  culture,  though  this  has  its  proper  place. 

And  some  of  us  put  tremendous  stress  to-day 
on  influence,  what  we  can  command  from  others, 
in  furtherance  of  our  desires.  Influence  is  spelled 
in  biggest  type  and  printed  in  blackest  ink. 
Whether  in  political  matters  at  Washington  or 
at  London  ;  in  financial,  whether  Lombard  Street 
or  Wall  Street ;  or  in  the  all-important  social 
matters,  or  even  in  the  educational,  the  university 
world,  the  chief  question  is,  '*  Whose  influence 
can  you  get  ?  "  ''  What  name  can  you  quote  ?  " 
"Whose  backing  have  you?"  Influence  and 
culture  are  the  twin  gods  to-day.     The  smoke 


lo6      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

of  their  inceuse  goeth  up  continuously.  Their 
places  of  worship  are  crowded,  with  bent  knees 
and  prostrate  forms  and  reverential  hush. 

Have  you  noticed  that  Jesus  hadn't  enough  in- 
fluence with  the  officials  of  His  day  to  keep  from 
the  cross  ?  No :  but  He  had  enough  power  to 
break  the  official  emblem  of  earth's  greatest  au- 
thority, the  Roman  seal  on  the  Joseph  tomb. 
Eather  striking  that;  intensely  significant  for 
us  moderns.  Peter  hadn't  enough  influence  with 
the  authorities  to  keep  out  of  jail.  Sounds  rather 
disgraceful  that,  does  it  not!  Aye,  but  he  had 
enough  power  with  God  to  open  jail-doors  and 
walk  quietly  out  against  the  wish  of  those  highest 
in  authority. 

Influence  has  its  proper  place.  It's  good,  if 
it  is.  But  we  are  not  saved  by  it.  We  are  not 
saved  by  what  some  one  else  can  do  for  us  ;  "  not 
of  the  will  of  man."  Your  mother's  prayers  and 
your  wife's,  and  the  influence  of  their  godly  lives 
will  have  great  weight.  It's  a  great  blessing  to 
have  them.  They  help  enormously.  But  the 
thing  itself  that  takes  a  man  into  the  presence  of 
God,  saved  and  redeemed,  is  something  immensely 
more  than  this,  some  action  of  his  own  that  goes 
to  the  roots  as  none  of  these  other  things  do. 

One  time  a  deputation  waited  on  Lincoln  to 
press  a  matter  of  public  concern.  But  his  keenly 
logical  mind  discerned  flaws  in  their  impassioned 
and  carefully  worked  out  arguments.  He  waited 
patiently  till  their  case  was  complete.  And 
then  in  that  quiet  way  for  which  he  was  famous, 
he  said,  "How  many  legs  would  a  sheep  have  if 


The  Wooing  Lover  107 

you  called  its  tail  a  leg  ?  "  As  he  expected,  they 
promptly  answered  "  Five."  ''  No,"  he  said,  "  it 
wouldn't ;  it  would  have  only  four.  Calling  a  tail 
a  leg  does  not  make  it  one."  So  a  simple  bit  of 
his  homely  sense  and  accurate  logic  scattered  their 
finely  si3un  argument. 

Calling  either  family  or  culture  or  influence 
the  chief  thing  doesn't  make  it  so.  These  are 
John's  three  tremendous  "  nots."  They  rather 
cut  straight  across  the  common  current  of  thought 
and  belief  and  conduct  to-day.  We  may  indeed 
be  grateful  if  a  single  homely  drop  of  black  ink 
from  John's  pen  put  into  the  beautifully  cloudy- 
grey  solution  of  modern  thought  clears  the  liquid 
and  makes  a  precipitate  of  sharply  defined  truth 
that  any  eye  can  plainly  see. 

This  is  how  we  wonH  be  saved.  This  is  how  we 
donH  get  into  the  family  of  God.  It  is  "not  of 
blood,  nor  of  the  will  of  the  flesh,  nor  of  the  will 
of  man ' ' ;  not  through  family  connection,  nor 
by  what  we  can  do  of  ourselves  simply,  nor  by 
what  we  can  get  some  of  our  fellows  to  do  for  us, 
simply. 

^'' But  of  God,^^  John  says.  It  is  by  Someone 
else,  outside  of  us,  above  us,  reaching  down  from 
a  higher  level,  and  putting  the  germ  of  a  new  life 
within  us,  and  lifting  us  up  to  His  own  level. 
He  puts  His  hand  through  the  open  door  of  our 
will,  what  we  do  in  opening  up  to  Him,  through 
"the  will  of  the  flesh."  He  walks  along  the 
pathway  of  the  earnest  desire  of  those  who  would 
help  us  up,  "the  will  of  man."  But  it  is  what 
He  does  that  does  the  one  thing  that  all  depends 


io8      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

upon.  His  is  the  decisive  action,  through  oui 
choosing  and  our  friends'  helping. 

I  said  it  isn't  a  matter  of  blood,  of  lineage. 
Yet  it  is.  That  statement  must  be  modified. 
Family  relationship  is  of  necessity  a  matter  of 
blood.  That's  the  very  blood  of  it.  This  is 
a  matter  of  blood ;  but  not  our  blood ;  His. 
There  has  to  be  a  new  strain  of  blood.  Our 
blood  is  stained.  It  is  at  fault.  It  is  impure. 
There's  been  a  bad  break  far  back  there  in  the 
family  record,  a  complete  break.  We  were 
powerless  either  to  purify  the  stock,  or  to  get 
over  that  gap,  even  if  we  admitted  the  need. 

There  had  to  be  a  bridging  of  that  gap.  It 
had  to  be  from  the  upper  side.  The  other  fell 
short.  The  gap  was  still  there.  There  had  to 
be  a  new  strain  of  blood.  This  was,  this  is,  the 
only  way.  We  get  into  that  old  first  family  ouly 
by  the  Father  of  the  family  reaching  over  the 
break  and  putting  in  the  new  strain  of  blood, 
the  germ  of  the  family  life,  and  so  lifting  us  up 
to  the  new  level.  And  Jesus  was  God  doing  just 
that. 

Our  Tented  Neighbour. 

Then  John  begins  a  new  paragraph.  He  goes 
back  to  tell  just  how  the  thing  was  done.  Listen : 
the  Word,  this  wondrous  One,  became  a  man,  one  of 
ourselves,  and  pitched  Sis  tent  in  close  amongst  our 
tents.  There's  ouly  a  stretch  of  canvas  between 
Him  and  any  of  us.  He  wanted  to  get  close, 
close  enough  to  help,  yet  never  infringing  upon 
the  privacy  of  our  tents,  only  coming  in  as  He 


The  Wooing  Lover  109 

was  invited.  But  He  has  remarkable  ears.  A 
whisper  reaches  Him  at  once.  And  He  is  out  of 
His  tent  into  ours  to  help  at  the  faintest  call. 
That  was  why  He  pitched  His  tent  in  amongst 
ours,  to  be  one  of  ourselves,  and  to  be  at  hand  in 
our  need. 

And  then  a  touch  of  awe  creeps  into  John's 
spirit  as  he  writes,  and  the  light  flashes  out  of  his 
eye  with  the  intensity  of  an  old  picture  surging 
to  the  front  of  his  imagination  again.  There  was 
more  than  a  tent  here,  more  than  a  man.  Out  of 
the  man,  out  through  the  tent  doorway,  and  tent 
canvas,  flashes  a  wondrous,  soft,  clear  light,  that 
transfigures  canvas  and  tent  and  man.  John's 
face  glows  as  he  writes,  "and  we  beheld  His 
glory. ^^ 

I  suppose  he  is  thinking  chiefly  of  that  still 
night  on  white  Hermon.  This  despised  Man  had 
called  the  inner  three  away  from  the  crowd,  in 
the  dark  of  night,  and  had  gently  drawn  aside  the 
exquisite  drapery  of  His  humanity,  and  let  some 
of  the  inner  glory  shine  out  before  their  eyes.  So 
the  way  was  lightened  for  them  as  their  feet  were 
turned  with  His  down  towards  the  dark  valley  of 
the  cross.  I  suppose  John  is  thinking  chiefly  of 
this. 

But  this  is  not  all,  I  am  very  sure.  There's 
more,  even  though  this  may  have  been  most. 
Glory  is  the  character  of  goodness.  It  is  not 
something  tacked  on  the  outside.  It  is  some 
native  thing  looking  out  from  within.  So  much 
of  what  we  think  of  as  glory  and  splendour  in 
scenes  of  magnificence  is  a  something  in  the  ex- 


no      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

ternals,  the  outer  arraugements.  Splendid  garl> 
ing,  brilliant  colours,  dazzling  shining  of  lights, 
seats  removed  a  distance  apart  and  up,  magnifi- 
cent outer  appointments, — these  seem  connected 
in  our  thought  with  an  occasion  and  a  scene 
being  glorious. 

But  John  is  using  the  word  in  its  simple  true 
first  meaning.  Glory  is  something  within  shin- 
ing out.  It  is  the  inner  native  light  that  good- 
ness gives  out.  "We  beheld  Sis  glory. ^^  I 
think  John  must  have  been  thinking  of  Nazareth. 
Thirty  out  of  thirty-three  years  were  spent  in 
homely  Nazareth.  Ten-elevenths  of  Jesus'  life 
was  spent  in — living,  simply  living  the  true  pure 
strong  gentle  life  amid  ordinary  circumstances, 
homely  surroundings.  This  was  the  greatest 
thing  Jesus  did  short  of  dying.  He  lived.  Next 
to  Calvary  where  the  glory  shined  out  incompa- 
rably, it  shined  out  most  in  Nazareth.  He  hal- 
lowed the  common  round  of  life  by  living  an  un- 
common life  there.  This  was  a  revealing  of  His 
glory.  So  He  revealed  the  inner  spirit  of  simple 
full  obedience  to  His  Father's  plan  for  His  earth - 
life. 

If  we  would  only  rise  to  His  level  !  The  way 
up  is  down.  We  are  likest  Him  when  we  live  the 
true  Jesus-life  regardless  of  ichere  it  is  lived,  on 
the  street,  in  the  house,  amidst  the  ideals— or 
lack  of  ideals— of  those  we  touch  closest.  It  was 
a  wondrous  glory  John  beheld.  And  the  crowd 
— no  wonder  that  crowd  couldn't  resist  Jesus. 
They  can't  even  yet,  when  He  is  lived. 

Then  John  goes  on  quietly  to  explain  about 


The  Wooing  Lover  ill 

that  glory,  how  it  came.  He  says  it  was  ^^  glory 
as  of  an  only  begotten  of  a  father.^  ^  The  common 
versions  with  which  we  are  familiar,  the  old  King 
fames,  the  English  and  American  revisions,  all 
say  **  the,"  '■'■the  only  begotten  of  the  Father."  I 
suppose  the  translators  wanted  to  make  it  quite 
clear  that  Jesus  was  in  an  exceptional  way  the 
very  Son  of  God.  And  so  they  don't  translate 
quite  as  John  put  it.  They  try  to  help  him  out  a 
little  in  making  his  meaning  clear. 

But  you  will  notice  that  this  old  Book  of  God 
never  needs  any  helping  out  in  making  the  truth 
quite  clear.  When  you  can  sift  through  versions 
and  languages  down  to  what  is  really  being  said, 
you  find  it  said  in  the  simplest  strongest  way  pos- 
sible. 

Here  John  is  saying,  ''  glory  as  of  an  only  be- 
gotten from  a  father."  It  is  a  family  picture,  so 
common  in  the  East.  Here  in  the  West,  the  unit 
of  society  is  the  individual.  The  farther  west 
you  come  the  more  pronounced  this  becomes,  un- 
til here  in  our  own  laud  individualism  seems  at 
times  to  run  to  extremes.  Custom  in  the  East  is 
the  very  reverse  of  this.  There  the  unit  of  action 
is  not  the  individual,  but  the  family.  The  family 
controls  the  individual  in  everything.  We  West- 
erners think  we  can  see  where  it  runs  to  such  ex- 
tremes as  to  constitute  one  of  the  great  hindrances 
to  progress  there. 

In  the  East,  if  a  young  man  is  to  be  married, 
he  has  actually  nothing  to  do  with  it,  except  to  be 
present  in  proper  garb  when  the  time  comes. 
The  fact  that  he  should  now  be  married,  the 


1 1 2      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

choice  of  his  bride,  the  betrothal,  the  time,  all 
arraugements  and  adjustments, — all  this  is  done 
by  the  families.  The  two  that  we  Westerners 
think  of  as  the  principals  have  nothing  to  do,  ex- 
cept to  acquiesce  in  the  arrangements  of  their 
elders.     It  is  strictly  a  family  affair. 

Even  so  all  that  belongs  to  the  family,  of 
wealth,  fame,  inheritance,  distinction,  vests  dis- 
tinctly in  the  head  of  the  family,  the  father.  He 
stands  for  the  whole  family.  And  so,  too,  all  of 
this  descends  directly  from  the  father  at  his 
death  to  his  eldest  son.  In  some  parts  the  father 
retires  at  a  certain  age,  either  really  or  nominally, 
and  all  becomes  vested  technically  in  his  eldest 
son.  And  if  the  son  be  an  only  begotten  son, 
then  literally  all  that  is  in  the  father  comes  into 
the  sou.  All  the  fame,  the  inheritance,  the  tradi- 
tions, the  obligations,  the  wealth,  in  short  all  the 
glory  of  the  father  comes  of  itself,  by  common 
action  of  events,  to  the  son. 

Now  this  is  what  John  is  thinking  of  as  he 
writes,  *'  we  beheld  His  glory,  glory  as  of  an  only 
begotten  of  a  father. "  That  is  to  say,  all  there  is 
in  the  Father  is  in  Jesus.  When  you  see  Jesus, 
you  are  seeing  the  Father.  The  whole  of  God  is 
in  this  Jesus.     This  is  what  John  is  saying  here. 

Grace  and  Truth  Coupled. 

And  then  John  does  a  bit  of  exquisite  packing 
of  much  in  little.  He  tells  the  whole  story  of  the 
character,  the  revealed  glory,  of  Jesus  in  such  a 
few  simple  words, — "/wK  of  grace  and  truth.'' ^ 


The  Wooing  Lover  1 13 

Not  grace  without  truth.  That  would  be  a  sort 
of  weakly,  sickly  seutimentalism.  Aud  uot 
truth  without  grace.  That  would  be  a  cold  steru 
repellent  iusistence  on  certain  high  standards. 
But  grace  aud  truth  coupled,  intermingling. 

Of  course  real  grace  aud  truth  always  are 
coupled.  They  tell  the  exquisite  iDoise  that  is  iu 
everything  God  does.  Truth  is  the  back-bone  of 
grace.  Grace  is  the  soft  cushioning  of  flesh  upon 
the  bony  framework  of  truth.  It  is  the  soft  warm 
breath  of  life  iu  truth.  Truth  is  grace  holding  up 
the  one  only  standard  of  purity  aud  right  aud  in- 
sisting upon  it.  Aud  as  we  look  we  know  within 
ourselves  we  never  can  reach  it.  Grace  is  truth 
reaching  a  strong  warm  hand  down  to  where  we 
are  aud  helping  us  reach  it. 

With  God  these  things  are  always  coupled. 
We  get  them  separated  badly,  or  would  I  better 
say,  imitations  of  them.  There  is  a  sort  of  thing 
we  have  called  truth.  It  is  uot  so  common  now 
as  a  generation  or  more  ago.  It  is  a  sort  of  stern 
elevated  preaching  of  righteousness,  but  with  no 
warm  feel  of  life  to  it.  I  can  remember  hearing 
preaching  in  my  immature  boy  days  that  made 
me  feel  that  the  man  aud  the  thing  must  be 
right,  but  neither  had  any  attraction  for  me.  It 
was  as  though  a  man  went  fishing  with  a  care- 
fully-made properly-labelled  metallic-bait  at  the 
end  of  a  long  stout  cord,  and  said,  as  he  dangled 
it  in  the  sinful  waters  to  the  elusive  fish,  ''  Kow, 
bite  ;  or  be  damned. " 

It  was  never  put  so  baldly,  of  course,  in  words. 
And  I  was  only  a  child  with  immature  childish 


114      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

imaginations.  Yet  that  was  the  feeling  about  the 
thing  the  child  got.  But  it's  scarcely  worth 
while  talking  of  that  now  except  to  point  the 
contrast ;  things  have  swung  so  far  to  the  other 
extreme. 

The  current  thing  to-day  is  grace  without  truth, 
or  what  is  supposed  to  be  grace.  It  is  a  sort  of 
man-made  substitute.  It's  something  like  this. 
Here's  a  man  in  the  gutter,  the  moral  gutter.  It 
may  be  the  actual  gutter.  Or,  there  may  be  the 
outer  trappings  of  refinement  that  easy  wealth 
provides  ;  or,  the  real  refinement  that  culture  and 
inheritance  bring.  But  morally  and  in  spirit, 
it's  a  gutter.  The  slime  of  sin  and  low  passion, 
of  selfishness  and  indulgence  and  self-ambition, 
oozes  over  everything  in  full  sight.  The  man's 
in  the  gutter. 

And  along  comes  the  modern  philosopher  of 
grace,  so-called.  He  looks  down  compassion- 
ately, and  says,  "Poor  fellow,  I'm  so  sorry  for 
you.  Too  bad  you  should  have  gotten  down  there. 
Let  me  help  you  a  bit,  my  brother. "  So  he  puts 
some  flowering  plants  down  in  the  slime  of  the 
gutter,  and  he  brushes  the  man's  clothes  a  bit, 
and  his  hair,  and  sprinkles  the  latest-labelled 
cologne-water  over  him,  and  pats  him  on  the 
shoulder,  and  says,  ' '  Now,  you  feel  better,  my 
man,  don't  you  ?"  And  the  man  sniffs  the  per- 
fume, and  is  quite  sure  he  does.  But  he  is  still  in 
the  gidter. 

There  seems  to  be  an  increasing  amount  of  this 
sort  of  thing  over  in  my  neighbourhood.  How 
ifi  it  in  your  corner  of  the  planet!    There's  an 


The  Wooing  Lover  1 15 

intense  stress  on  environment ;  that  means  the 
outside  of  things.  Better  sanitation,  improved 
housing,  purer  milk  supply,  and  segregation  of 
vice  which  seems  to  mean  putting  some  of  the 
viler  smelling  slime  of  the  gutter,  the  slimer 
slime,  all  over  in  one  guttered  section  by  itself. 
But  there  can  be  no  health  there.  It's  a  change 
of  location  that  is  needed  ! 

The  wondrous  Jesus-plan  is  different.  It  holds 
things  in  poise.  Grace  and  truth.  Truth  is 
Jesus  stretching  His  hand  up  high,  up  to  the 
limit  of  arm's  length,  and  saying,  ^'  Here  is  the 
standard,  purity,  righteousness,  utter  honesty  of 
heart  and  rigid  purity  of  motive  and  life.  You 
must  reach  this  standard.  It  can't  be  lowered  by 
the  half  thickness  of  a  paper-thin  shaving.  You 
must  come  to  this  standard.  The  standard  never 
comes  down  to  you." 

And  the  man  in  the  gutter  says,  ''  I'll  never 
reach  it."  And  he  is  right.  S«?  never  will — of 
himself,  alone.  Yet  that's  truth,  true  truth. 
*' A  hopeless  case  "  you  say  ;  '<  utter  impractical 
idealizing  !  Case  ruled  out  of  court. "  Just  wait, 
that's  only  half  the  case,  and  not  the  warm  half 
either, 

Grace  is  Jesus  going  down  into  the  gutter,  the 
gutterest  gutter,  and  taking  the  man  by  his  out- 
stretching hand,  and  lifting  him  clean  up  out  of 
the  gutter,  up,  and  up,  till  the  man  reaches  the 
standard,  and  is  never  content  till  he  does.  That 
was  a  tremendous  going  down,  and  a  yet  more 
tremendous  lifting  up.  Jesus  broke  His  heart 
and  lost  His  life  in  the  going  down. 


Il6      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

But  out  from  the  broken  heart  came  running 
the  blood  that  proved  both  cleansing  and  a  salve. 
And  out  of  the  grave  of  that  lost  life  came  a  new 
life  that  proved  an  incentive,  and  a  tremendous 
dynamic.  The  blood  cleanseth  the  inside  of  the 
man  in  the  gutter,  and  heals  his  sores,  restores 
his  sight  and  hearing  and  sensitiveness  of  touch. 
The  new  life  put  inside  the  man  makes  him  rise 
up  and  walk  determinedly  out  of  the  gutter  to  a 
new  location.  He  is  a  new  man,  with  a  new  in- 
side, in  a  new  location.  That  threefold  cord  is 
ahead  of  Solomon's — it  canH  be  broken. 

And;  if  you'll  mark  it  keenly,  a  new  inside  in- 
cludes a  new  outeide.  The  thing  that  in  religious 
talk  is  called  conversion  is  a  sociological  factor 
that  cannot  be  ignored  by  the  thoughtful  student. 
The  drunkard  goes  down  to  the  old-fashioned 
sort  of  mission  where  they  insist  on  teaching  that 
the  blood  of  Jesus  cleanseth  from  all  sin,  and  that 
the  Holy  Spirit  will  make  a  new  man  of  you,  and 
burn  the  sin  out. 

And  something  happens  to  the  drunkard.  He 
kneels  a  drunkard,  drunk  ;  he  rises  a  man,  sober. 
He  goes  to  the  hole  he  calls  home.  And  at  once 
a  change  begins  to  work  gradually  out.  He  treats 
his  wife  and  children  differently.  He  works. 
They  are  fed  better  and  clothed  warmer.  He 
gets  a  better  house  in  a  better  neighbourhood. 
The  new  sociological  factor  is  at  work.  It  began 
inside ;  it  revolutionizes  the  outside. 

Settlement  houses,  better  environment,  im- 
proved  outer  conditions  of  every  sort,  are  blessed, 
and  only  blessed,  after  the  inside  is  fixed  or  Id 


The  Wooing  Lover  117 

helping  to  get  it  fixed.  If  that  isn't  done,  they 
are  simply  as  a  lovely  bit  of  pink-coloured  court- 
plaster  skilfully  adjusted  over  an  ugly  incurable 
ulcer.  The  man  is  befooled  while  the  ulcer  eats 
into  his  vitals. 

It's  only  the  blood-power  of  a  Jesus,  the  Jesus, 
that  can  fix  the  inside.  He  cuts  out  the  ulcer 
and  puts  in  a  new  strain  of  blood.  Then  the 
inner  includes  the  outer.  And  the  most  grateful 
of  all  is  the  man.  This  is  the  Jesus-plan,  John 
says,  ^^  full  of  grace  a7id  truth.'' 

Grace  is  named  first.  It  comes  first.  That  is  a 
bit  of  the  graciousuess  of  it.  That's  love's  ex- 
quisite diplomacy.  We  feel  the  grateful  warmth 
of  the  sun  in  the  winter's  air,  and  are  drawn  by  it. 
We  smell  the  fragrance  of  the  roses  and  come 
eagerly  nearer.  We  hear  the  winsomeuess  of  a 
gentle  wooing  voice  a-calliug,  and  instinctively 
answer  to  it.  And  then  we  find  the  sun's  power 
to  heal  and  cleanse  and  its  insistence  on  burning 
up  what  can't  stand  its  heat. 

We  find  the  inspiring,  purifying  uplift  of  the 
flowers,  drawing  us  up  the  hillside  to  the  top. 
We  find  the  voice — the  Man — gently  but  with 
unflinching  unbending  determination  that  never 
yields  a  hairbreadth,  insisting  on  our  coming  clear 
up  to  the  topmost  level.  That's  a  wondrous  order 
of  words,  and  coupling  of  helps,  grace  and  truth. 

And  this  is  Jesus.  This  is  Johu-s  simple  tre- 
mendous picture.  This  Man  comes  down  into 
our  neighbourhood,  on  our  earth.  He  sticks  up 
His  stretch  of  tent-canvas  right  next  ours.  He 
insists  on  being  His  own  true  self  in  the  midst  of 


ll8      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

the  unlikeliest  surroundings.  The  glow  of  His 
presence  shines  out  over  all  the  neighbourhood 
of  human  tents.  There's  a  purity  of  air  that 
stimulates.  Men  take  deep  breaths.  There's  a 
fragrance  breathing  subtly  out  from  His  tent  that 
draws  and  delights.  Men  come  a-running  with 
childlike  eagerness. 


Grace  Flooding. 

And  now  as  Jesus  comes  quietly  down  the  river 
road  where  John's  crowd  is  gathered,  John  the 
witness  points  his  finger  tensely  out,  and  eagerly 
cries  out :  There  He  is !  This  is  the  man  Fve 
been  telling  you  about!  He  that  cometh  after  me  in 
point  of  time  is  become  first  in  relation  to  me  in 
point  of  preeminence :  for  He  was  before  me  both 
in  time  and  in  preeminence. 

And  then  John  adds  a  tremendous  bit.  He 
had  just  been  talking  about  Jesus  being /mZZ  of 
that  great  combination  of  grace  and  truth.  Now 
his  thought  runs  back  to  that.  Listen:  "Of 
His  fullness  have  we  all  received." 

There's  another  translation  of  this  sentence 
that  I  have  run  across  several  times.  It  reads  in 
this  way:  "Of  His  skimpiness  have  we  all  re- 
ceived." I  never  found  that  in  common  print ; 
only  in  the  larger  print  of  men's  lives.  But  in 
that  printing  it  seems  to  have  run  into  a  large 
edition,  with  very  wide  circulation.  Men  don't 
read  this  old  Book  of  God  much  ;  less  than  ever. 
They  get  their  impression  of  God  wholly  from 
those  who  call  themselves  His  followers. 


The  Wooing  Lover  1 19 

They  watch  the  procession  go  by.  Here  they 
come  crippled  diseased  maimed  weakened  in 
body,  piteously  pathetically  crutchiug  along, 
singed  and  burned  with  the  flames  of  the  same 
low  passion  that  the  onlooking  crowds  know  so 
well,  struggling,  limping,  crutchiug  along  bodily 
and  iu  every  other  way. 

And  that's  a  crowd  with  very  keen  logic,  those 
onlookers.  It  judges  God  by  those  bearing  His 
name,  very  properly.  And  it  says  more  or  less 
unconsciously, — ''What  a  poor  sort  of  God  He 
must  be  those  people  have.  No  doubt  He  has  a 
great  job  of  management  on  His  hands.  There 
are  so  many  of  them  to  provide  for.  And  appar- 
ently there  can't  be  any  abundance,  certainly  no 
overflow,  no  surplus.  He  has  to  piece  it  out  the 
best  He  can  to  make  it  go  as  far  as  possible." 

"  I  think  maybe  I  needn't  be  in  any  hurry  to 
join  that  crowd,  at  least  till  I  have  to,  along 
towards  the  end  of  things  here.  There  would 
only  be  one  more  to  carry.  He  has  such  a 
crowd  now.  And  the  resources  are  pretty  badly 
strained,  judging  by  appearancas."  So  the 
crowd  talks.  Poor  God  !  How  He  is  misrepre- 
sented by  some  walking  translations.     "Of  His 

skimpiness !"     Be  careful.     Don't  take  too 

much.     Be  grateful  for  the  crumbs. 

Please  clean  your  spectacles,  and  readjust  them 
carefully,  and  if  you  are  afflicted  with  the  small- 
print  Bible  that  seems  in  such  common  use,  get 
a  reading-glass  and  look  here  at  the  proper  trans- 
lation. That  crutchiug,  leather- bound  transla- 
tion is  grossly  inaccurate,  if  it  is  in  such  big 


120      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

print,  and  in  such  wide  circulation.  Look  here. 
Can  you  see  the  words  ?  This  is  the  only  correct 
reading  :  "Of  His  fullness  have  all  we  received. ' ' 
Put  that  into  the  print  of  your  life,  for  your  own 
sake  and  for  the  crowd's  sake,  yes,  and  for  God's 
sake,  too,  that  the  crowd  may  know  the  kind  of 
a  God  God  is. 

And  as  if  John  had  a  suspicion  about  possible 
bad  translations,  he  did  a  bit  of  underscoring. 
That  word  fullness  is  underscored  in  John's 
original  copy.  It's  a  heavy  underscoring,  in  red. 
The  underscoriug  is  in  three  words  he  adds : 
"Grace  for  grace."  That  is,  grace  m place  of 
grace.  It's  a  sort  of  picture.  Some  grace  has 
been  received.  And  it  is  so  wondrous  that  noth- 
ing seems  so  good.  And  the  man  is  siuging  as  he 
goes  about  his  work. 

Then  comes  a  sudden  soft  inrushing  of  a  flood 
of  grace  so  great  that  it  seems  to  displace  all  that 
was  there.  Oh  !  the  man  didn't  know  there  was 
such  grace  as  this.  It  seems  as  if  he  had  never 
known  grace  before.  And  the  work -song  is 
hushed  into  a  great  stillness,  though  the  won- 
drous rhythm  of  peace  is  greater  than  before. 

And  then  before  he  quite  knows  how  it  happens 
in  comes  another  soft  subtle  inrushing  flood- tide 
of  grace  that  seems  to  displace  all  again.  Some 
temptation  comes,  some  sore  need,  some  tight 
corner.  You  look  to  Him  ;  lean  on  Him  ;  risk 
all  on  His  response.  He  responds ;  and  in  comes 
the  fresh  inrush. 

And  then  this  sort  of  thing  becomes  a  habit, 
God's  habit  of  responding  to  your  need,  need  of 


The  Wooing  Lover  I2i 

every  sort.  It  becomes  the  commonplace,  the 
blessed  commonplace  that  can  never  be  common. 
That's  John's  underscoring  of  the  word  "  full- 
ness." May  the  crowds  whose  elbows  we  jostle 
get  this  underscored  translation,  bound  in  shoe- 
leather,  your  shoe-leather. 

Then  in  his  eagerness  to  make  us  understand 
the  thing  really,  John  makes  a  contrast.  "The 
law  loas  given  through  Moses ;  grace  and  truth 
came  through  Jesus  Christ."  The  law  was  a 
thing,  given^  through  a  man.  Grace  and  truth 
was  a  man  coming,  the  very  embodiment  in  Him- 
self of  what  the  two  words  stand  for. 

The  law,  the  old  Mosaic  law,  was  not  a  state- 
ment of  ihQfull  message  of  God.  That  was  given 
much  earlier.  It  was  given  to  all.  It  came  di- 
rectly. It  was  given  first  in  Eden,  in  its  flood  ; 
and  then  continuously  to  every  man  wherever  he 
was.  It  was  given  within  each  man's  own  heart, 
and  through  the  unfailing  flooding  light  in  nature 
above  and  below  and  all  around.  The  tide  of  its 
coming  has  never  ceased  in  volume  nor  in  steadi- 
ness of  flow ;  and  does  not  cease.  That  tide  came 
to  flood  in  Jesus.  And  that  flood  has  never  known 
an  ebb. 

But  men's  eyes  got  badly  affected.  They 
didn't  let  the  light  in,  either  clearly  or  fully. 
The  light  was  there,  but  it  was  not  getting  in. 
Something  had  to  be  done  to  help  out  those  eyes. 
So  the  law  was  given.  It  was  merely  a  mirror 
to  let  a  man  see  his  face,  what  it  was  like. 

Here's  a  mother  calling  to  her  little  son,  "  Come 
here  and  let  me  wash  your  face."    And  he  calls 


122      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

out,  "It  isn't  dirty."  **Yes,  dear,  it  is  very 
dirty,  come  at  once."  ''"Why,  no,  mother,  it 
isn't  dirty  ;  you  washed  it  this  morning."  And 
the  child's  tone  blends  a  hurt  surprise  and  a 
settled  conviction  that  his  mother  is  certainly 
wrong  this  time  about  the  condition  of  his 
face. 

And  if  the  mother  be  of  the  thoughtful  brood- 
ing kind,  she  says  nothing,  but  gets  a  hand 
mirror,  and  holds  it  before  the  child's  face. 
That  will  always  get  a  child's  attention.  And 
the  boy  looks  ;  he  sees  his  dirty  face  reflected. 
The  blank  astonishment  on  his  face  can't  be  put 
into  words.  It  tells  the  radical  upsetting  revolu- 
tion in  his  thought  on  that  subject.  How  could 
it  have  happened  that  his  face  got  into  that  con- 
dition t  And  the  washing  process  is  yielded  to 
at  least ;  possibly  even  asked  for. 

That's  what  the  law  did  and  does.  It  showed 
man  his  face,  his  heart,  his  need.  It  brings  up- 
setting revolutionary  ideas  regarding  one's  self. 
There  it  stops.  That's  its  limit.  Then  the  Man 
who  in  Himself  is  grace  and  truth  does  the  rest. 

The  Spokesman  of  God. 

Then  John  quietly,  deftly  draws  the  line  around 
to  the  starting  point  in  that  first  tremendous 
statement.  He  completes  a  circle  perfect  in  its 
strength  and  beauty  and  simplicity,  as  every 
circle  is.  If  we  follow  the  order  of  the  words 
somewhat  as  John  wrote  them  down,  we  find  the 
bit  of  truth  coming  in  a  very  striking,  as  well  as 


The  Wooing  Lover  123 

in  a  fresh  way.     "  God  no  one  has  ever,  at  any 
time,  seen.^^  ^^ 

That  seems  rather  startling,  does  it  not  1  What 
do  these  older  pages  say  I  Adam  talked  and 
walked  and  worked  with  God,  and  then  was  led 
to  the  gate  of  the  garden.  God  appeared  to 
Abraham,  and  gave  him  a  never-to-be-forgotten 
lesson  in  star  study.  Moses  spent  nearly  six 
weeks  with  Him,  twice  over,  in  the  flaming 
mount,  and  carried  the  impress  of  His  presence 
upon  his  face  clear  to  Nebo's  cloudy  top. 

The  seventy  elders  "  saw  the  God  of  Israel,  and 
did  eat  and  drink, "  the  simple  record  runs.  And 
youug  Isaiah  that  morning  in  the  temple,  and 
Ezekiel  in  the  colony  of  exiles  on  the  Chebar, 
and  Daniel  by  the  Tigris  at  the  close  of  his  three 
weeks'  fast,— these  all  come  quickly  to  mind. 
John's  startling  statement  seems  to  contradict 
these  flatly. 

But  push  on.  John  has  a  way  of  clearing 
things  up  as  you  follow  him  through.  Listen 
to  him  further  :  The  only-begotten  God  who  is 
in  the  bosom  of  the  Father— ife  has  always  been 
the  spokesman  of  God.  Look  into  that  sentence 
of  John's  a  little.  It  seems  quite  clear,  clear  to 
the  point  of  satisfying  the  most  critical  research, 
that  John  wrote  down  the  words,  "the  only-be- 
gotten God.'"  The  contrast  in  his  mind  is  not 
between  "God,"  and  the  "only  begotten  Son." 
It  is  a  contrast  whose  verbal  terms  fit  with  much 
nicer  exactness  than  that.  It  is  a  contrast  be- 
tween "God"  and  the  "only-begotten  God." 
There  is  only  one  such  person  whichever  way 


124      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

it  is  put.  "Whatever  one  may  think  about  the 
preexistence  of  Jesus,  it  is  clear  that  the  only- 
reference  of  these  words  could  be  to  Him  who 
was  known  as  Jesus.  John's  main  statement  is 
in  no  way  changed  whichever  way  the  thing  is 
made  to  read.  It  is  simply  one  of  John's  simple 
tremendous  touches  to  bring  out  incidentally, 
and  so  with  greatly  intensified  emphasis,  the 
deity  of  Jesus. 

And  this  sifts  John's  statement  to  something 
like  this  :  The  Father- God^  no  one  has  ever  at  any 
time  seen.  The  Only-begotten  God  who  lived  in  the 
most  intimate  and  tender  relation  imaginable  with 
the  Father,  it  is  He  who  has  always  been  the  spokes- 
man of  God.  In  what  He  was,  in  what  He  said, 
in  what  He  did,  He  has  ever  been  the  interpreter 
of  God. 

An  interpreter  stands  between  the  chief  speaker 
and  the  listeners.  The  listeners  know  the  speaker 
only  as  the  interpreter  interprets  him.  The 
speaker  takes  on  entirely  to  them  the  personal 
colouring  of  the  one  interpreting.  He  is  limited 
by  the  interpreter.  Not  only  does  he  come 
through  the  interpreter,  but  he  doesn't  come 
in  any  other  way.  He  remains  unknown  except 
as  his  interpreter  makes  him  known. 

Now  this  is  exactly  John's  thought  here.  In 
His  life,  and  actions,  in  His  personality  and 
presence  and  words,  this  only-begotten  God,  later 
called  Jesus,  was  telling  out  the  Father-God.  It 
was  only  so  that  men  ever  knew  anything  of  the 
Father.  For  interpretation  presupposes  different 
languages,  at  least  two  of  them.     It  supposes  per- 


The  Wooing  Lover  125 

sons  utter  strangers  communicating  through  a 
third,  who  knows  the  language  of  both.  And 
they  who  receive  the  message  only  know  it  and 
him  from  whom  it  comes,  through  the  spokes- 
man, the  interpreter. 

This  only  begotten  God  who  later  walked 
among  us  in  homely  humble  garb  as  Jesus,  this 
is  the  one  who  walked  with  Adam,  and,  broken- 
hearted, led  him  to  the  Garden-gate.  He  it  was 
who  lured  Abraham  away  to  a  pilgrim  life,  and 
talked  with  him  under  the  starry  blue,  that  left 
the  subtle  beauty-touch  of  His  presence  in  the 
mount  upon  that  gentled  face  that  shone  so,  and 
that  talked  with  the  man  of  storm  and  blood  in 
the  mouth  of  the  early  morning  cave. 

It  was  He  who  brooded  over  the  man  in  the 
temple  till  he  glowed  with  the  Gospel,  before 
that  word  had  yet  been  minted,  that  looked  out 
of  the  Chebar  storm  into  the  awed  eye  of  the 
young  Hebrew  priest  of  such  rare  pen,  and  that 
talked  to  the  world's  premier-administrator  by 
the  Tigris  of  what  would  befall  his  kinspeople  in 
a  time  yet  future.  It  was  He  that  in  the  fullness 
of  time  and  love,  wrapped  the  homely  garb  of  our 
humanity  about  Himself  and  walked  in  amongst 
us  as  one  of  ourselves. 

John's  Picture — A  Man  Coming. 

And  so  John  with  masterly  skill  brings  the 
end  of  his  thread  around  to  its  beginning,  and 
ties  the  two  ends  into  a  knot.  These  opening 
paragraphs  of  his  have  a  rare  simplicity  and 


126      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

unity.  They  tell  the  whole  story  hanging  at  the 
end  of  John's  pen.  This  little  bit  commonly 
called  the  prologue  is  a  gem  of  simplicity  and 
compactness. 

It  is  John's  Gospel  in  miniature,  even  as 
John's  Gospel  is  the  whole  Bible  story  in  minia- 
ture. You  can  see  the  whole  of  the  sun  reflected 
in  a  single  drop  of  water.  You  can  see  the  whole 
of  both  Father  and  Son  in  the  action  of  love  in 
these  simple  opening  lines  of  John's  Gospel. 

Have  you  ever  been  walking  down  a  country 
road  till,  weary  and  thirsty,  you  stopped  at  an 
old  farmhouse  and  refreshed  yourself  at  the 
old-fashioned  well,  with  its  bucket  and  long 
sweep  ?  And  as  you  rested  a  bit  by  the  well  you 
wondered  how  deep  it  was.  It  didn't  look  deep 
at  all.  The  water  was  near,  and  it  was  so  clear 
and  sweet  and  refreshing,  and  so  easy  to  get  at 
for  a  drink. 

Is  it  deep  ?  So  you  fish  a  rather  long  bit  of 
string  out  of  your  pocket,  and  tie  it  to  a  bit  of 
stone  you  find  lying  close  by.  And  you  let  the 
stone  down,  and  down,  and  down,  till  you  are 
surprised  to  find  that  the  well  is  deeper  than  your 
string  is  long. 

Well,  John's  opening  bit  is  just  like  that.  It 
Seems  very  simple,  easily  understood  at  first  flush 
in  the  mere  statements  made.  The  water  is  near 
the  top.  You  easily  drink.  And  you  are  re- 
freshed. But  when  you  try  to  find  out  how  deep 
it  is,  you  are  startled  to  find  that  it  is  clear  over 
your  head. 

But  it  is  never  over  your  heart.     It  is  too  deep 


The  Wooing  Lover  127 

for  you  to  grasp  and  understand.  You  never 
touch  bottom.  But  it's  never  beyond  heart- 
understanding.  You  can  sense  and  feel  and 
love.  You  can  open  the  sluice-gates  into  your 
heart,  and  have  the  blessed  flood-tide  lift  and 
lift  and  bear  you  aloft  and  along.  You  can  love. 
And  that  is  the  whole  story. 

Was  John  an  artist?  Is  he  making  a  rare 
painting  for  us  here  ?  Is  he  studying  perspective, 
shading  and  spacing,  to  an  exquisite  nicety  that 
is  revealed  in  the  very  way  he  puts  words  and 
sentences  and  paragraphs  together?  I  do  not 
know.  And  if  any  of  you  think  the  thing  I  am 
about  to  speak  of  is  due  to  a  mere  mechanical 
chance  of  the  pen,  I'll  not  quarrel  with  you. 
Though  I  shall  still  have  my  own  personal 
thought  in  the  matter. 

But  will  you  notice  this?  John  begins  his 
prologue  with  a  description  of  a  wonderful 
personality.  He  ends  it  with  another  descrip- 
tion of  this  same  personality.  Both  descriptions 
are  rare  in  beauty  and  boldness,  in  simplicity 
and  brevity.  And  right  midway  between  the 
two,  at  almost  the  exact  middle  line  of  the  read- 
ing, at  what  is  the  artistic  center,  stands  the 
word  ^^  came.'^ 

That  word  ''came"  gathers  up  into  itself  and 
tells  out  to  you  the  whole  story  about  this  twice- 
described  personality.  "He  came"  John  says. 
That's  the  whole  thing.  First  the  He  fills  your 
eye,  and  then  what  He  did — came.  And  as  you 
step  off  a  bit  for  better  perspective,  and  change 
your  personal  position  this  way  and  that  to  get 


128      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

the  best  light,  you  find  the  picture  standing  out 
before  your  awed  eyes. 

It  is  a  Man  coming  down  the  road  with  face 
looking  into  yours.  He  is  truly  a  man,  every 
line  of  the  picture  makes  that  clear  to  you.  But 
such  a  man  as  never  was  seen  before,  with  the 
rarest  blending  of  the  kingly  and  the  kindly  in 
His  bearing.  The  purest  purity,  the  utmost 
graciousness,  the  highest  ideals,  the  gentlest 
manner,  nobility  beyond  what  we  have  known, 
and  kindliness  past  describing, — all  these  blend 
in  the  pose  of  His  body  and  most  of  all  in  the 
look  of  His  face.  And  He  is  in  motion.  He  is 
walking,  walking  towards  us,  with  hands  out- 
stretched. 

This  is  John's  picture  of  Jesus.  He  came  to 
His  own.  He  came  because  His  own  drew  Him. 
Out  from  the  bosom  of  His  Father,  into  the 
womb  of  a  virgin  maid,  and  into  the  heart  of  a 
race  He  came.  Out  of  the  glory-blaze  above  into 
the  gloom  of  the  shadow,  and  the  glare  of  false 
lights  below,  He  came. 

Out  of  the  love  of  a  Father's  heart,  the  Only- 
begotten  came,  into  contact  with  the  hate  that  was 
the  only-begotten  of  sin,  that  He  might  woo  us 
men  up,  and  up,  and  up,  into  the  only-begotten 
life  with  the  Father. 

Jesus  was  God  on  a  wooing  errand  to  the  eartho 


Ill 

THE  LOVER  WOOING 

li  Group  of  Pictures  Illustrating  How  the 
Wooing  Was  Done,  and  How  the  Lover 
Was  Received 


"  Still  with  unhurrying  chase, 
And  unperturbed  pace, 
Deliberate  speed,  majestic  instancy 
Came  the  following  Feet, 
And  a  Voice  above  their  beat  — 
•  Naught  shelters  thee,  who  will  not  shelter  Me* " 

— "  The  Hound  of  Heaven,*^ 


"  O  thou  hope  of  Israel,  the  Saviour  thereof  in  the 
time  of  trouble,  why  shouldst  thou  be  as  a  sojourner 
in  the  land,  and  as  a  wayfaring  man  that  spreadeth  his 
tent  for  a  night  ?  " — Jeremiah  xiv,  8. 

He  came  unto  his  own  home,  and  they  who  were 
his  own  kinsfolk  received  him  not  into  the  house,  but 
left  him  standing  outside  in  the  cold  and  dark  of  the 
winter's  night.  But  as  many  as  did  receive  him  he 
received  into  his  home,  and  gave  each  a  seat  in  the 
inner  circle  at  the  hearthfire  of  God. — jfohn  i.  ii, 
12.     Free  translation. 


Ill 

THE  LOVER  WOOING 

(John  i.  19-xii.  50) 

The  Mother  of  all  Love-Words. 

Brooding  is  love  at  its  tenderest  and  best.  It 
is  love  giving  its  best,  and  so  bringing  out  the 
best  possible  in  the  one  brooded  over. 

Look  into  the  nest  where  the  word  itself  was 
brooded.  It  is  a  warm  something,  warm  in  it- 
self, not  a  borrowed  warmth.  The  warmth  is  its 
chief  trait.  It  is  a  soft  tender  unfailing  cuddling 
warmth.  It  cuddles  and  coos,  it  glows  and  floods 
a  gentle  comforting  stimulating  warmth.  And 
the  best  there  is  lying  asleep  within  the  thing  so 
brooded  over  awakes. 

It  answers  to  that  creative  mothering  warmth. 
It  pushes  out,  against  all  obstacles,  and  comes 
shyly  and  winsomely,  but  steadily  and  strongly, 
out  to  the  brooding  warmth,  growing  as  it  comes 
and  growing  most  as  it  comes  into  closest  touch 
with  the  warm  brooder. 

Brooding  is  the  mother  of  all  love- words, — 
friendship,  wooing,  pitying,  helping,  mothering, 
fathering,  witnessing,  believing.  It  is  the 
mother-word,  from  out  whose  warm  womb  all 
these  others  come,  warm,  too,  and  full  of  gentle 
strong  life.     Its  mother  quality  is  so  strong  that 


132      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

we  are  apt  to  think  of  it  only  in  connection  with 
actual  mothers,  mothers  among  animals  and  birds 
and  of  our  human  kind. 

But  this  is  only  one  meaning,  really  a  surface 
meaning,  though  such  a  fine  deep  meaning  in  it- 
self. Its  real  heart  meaning  lies  much  deeper. 
Brooding  is  the  mother  of  all  love.  It  is  its  warmth 
that  draws  out  that  fine  feeling  that  makes  and 
marks  friendship.  It  is  its  tender  warmth  that 
draws  out  that  finest  degree  of  friendship  which 
knits  with  unbreakable  bonds  two  lives  into  one. 

It  reaches  out  most  subtly  to  knit  up  again  the 
ends  that  have  ravelled  out  under  the  sore  stress 
of  life.  It  bends  compassionately  over  those  hurt 
in  body,  and  hurt  yet  more  in  their  spirit  by  the 
greedy  rivalry  of  life,  and  nurses  into  newness  of 
life  the  shivering  shredded  hurt  parts.  In  the 
more  familiar  use  of  the  word  it  fathers  and 
mothers  the  newly  minted  morsels  of  precious 
humanity,  coming  into  life  with  big  wondering 
eyes. 

And  it  warms  into  highest  life  that  highest 
love  that,  through  the  process  of  hearing,  assent- 
ing, trusting,  risking,  giving  the  heart's  devo- 
tion, comes  to  know  God  as  a  tender  Father,  and 
Christ  as  a  precious  personal  Saviour.  Whether 
in  close  friend,  or  ardent  lover,  gracious  philan- 
thropist, devoted  parent,  or  earnest  witness,  it  is 
the  same  warm  thing  underneath,  at  its  fine  task 
— brooding. 

We  think  of  it  most  in  the  mother.  For  it 
comes  to  its  highest  human  perfection  there. 
The  true  thoughtful  mother  is  first  and  chiefest  a 


The  Lover  Wooing  133 

brooder.  She  broods  iu  spirit  till  her  child  looks 
into  her  eyes,  bearing  the  image,  iu  face  and 
mental  impress  and  spirit,  which  the  brooding 
months  have  given.  She  broods  over  the  inar- 
ticulate days  wheu  the  babe  cannot  tell  the  felt 
needs  except  to  a  brooding  mother's  keen  insight. 

She  broods  over  the  baby-talk  days  ;  over  the 
struggliug  days  when  the  child  would  tell  its 
awakening  thoughts  out  in  words,  but  doesn't 
know  how  yet ;  over  the  wilful  days  which  come 
so  early  wheu  the  first  battles  come  that  decide 
the  whole  future. 

With  a  warmth  of  tenderness  and  patience, 
and  a  strength  of  gentle  wise  insistence,  more 
than  human,  she  broods.  It  takes  the  very 
strength  of  her  life,  far  far  more  than  in  prenatal 
days.  So  there  comes,  slowly,  but  as  she  keeps 
true  to  the  brooding  spirit,  surely,  the  strong 
gentle  self-controlled  life  out  of  the  warm  womb 
of  her  brooding  life.  So  comes  the  child's  higher 
birth,  so  preparing  the  way  for  the  yet  higher. 

Now  all  this  is  at  its  native  best  in  God.  There 
only  does  it  reach  finest  fruitage.  Some  day  we 
shall  recognize  the  meaning  of  that  modest  but 
tremendous  little  sentence, — God  is  love.  This 
warm  brooding  something  that  comes,  gentle  as 
the  dawning  light  in  the  grey  east,  fragrant  as 
the  dew  of  the  new  morning,  irresistible  in  its 
pervasive  persuasive  presence  as  the  rays  of  the 
growing  sun,  giving  to  us  warmth,  and  life,  and 
drawing  out  from  within  us  warmth  and  life  and 
beauty  and  strength,  all  in  its  own  image,  this  is 
the  thing  called  love.     This  is  the  thing  that  God 


134      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

is.    As  we  know  it  we  are  getting  acquainted 
with  Sim. 

And  if  a  break  conies,  instantly  love  in  its 
grief  sets  itself  with  warmth  and  renewed  strength 
to  the  new  harder  brooding  task.  It  gives  itself 
out  yet  more,  regardless  of  cost,  until  in  place  of 
the  broken  fragments  there  comes  a  finer  sort  of 
life  out  of  the  warm  womb  of  love,  brooding,  re- 
deeming, bringing- back-again  love.  This  is  God. 
This  is  Jesus.  John  shows  us  Jesus  as  a  picture 
of  the  brooding  God. 

five  Pictures  of  Jesus. 

There  are  five  wondrous  pictures  of  Jesus  in 
these  newer  leaves  of  the  old  Book.  Three  of 
them  hang  on  the  walls  of  Paul's  tent- weaving 
study-room.  There's  the  Colossian  picture,  the 
Creator- Jesus,  infinite  in  power,  making  all  things 
above  and  below  and  around,  and  holding  all 
things  together.^ 

Close  by  it  in  wondrous  contrast  is  seen  the 
Philippiau  picture.  It  is  the  Man- Jesus,  emptied 
of  all  the  upper-glory  native  to  Him,  bowing 
down  low  and  lower  and  lowest,  till  in  the  form 
of  a  slave  He  hangs  on  a  cross.  ^ 

And  in  contrast  yet  more  striking  and  start- 
ling, close  by  its  side  hangs  the  Ephesian  picture. 
It  is  the  Enthroned- Jesus,  back  again  in  the  soft, 
blazing,  blinding  glory  of  the  Father's  presence, 
seated  at  His  right  hand,  far  above  all  rule  and 
authority  and  power  and  dominion  and  every 

*  CJolossians  i.  15-17.  *  Philippians  ii.  6-8. 


The  Lover  Wooing  135 

name  that  is  named.  And  as  you  stand  awed 
before  this  picture  your  eye  is  caught  by  the  art- 
ist's remarque  sketch  at  the  bottom.  It  is  a 
broken  Eoman  seal,  and  an  open  tomb,  and  a 
bird  with  swelling  throat  singing  joyously.* 

Then  there's  John's  later  Patmos  picture  of  the 
Present- Jesus  J  standing  now  down  on  the  earth  in 
the  midst  of  His  candle-holding  Church,  but  seen 
only  by  opened  eyes.  There  He  is  seen  as  a  Man 
of  Fire,  ablaze  with  light,  intently  watching, 
with  tender  but  omnipotent  touch  waiting,  ever 
waiting  ;  with  a  patience  unknown  except  in 
Him,  still  waiting.* 

But  John's  earlier  Gospel  picture  is  of  the 
Brooding-Jesus.  The  word  "brooding"  here 
takes  in  its  fine  deep  significance.  Jesus  is  seen 
here  as  a  brooding  Lover,  by  the  warmth  of  His 
wooing  love  drawing  out  the  warmth  of  an  an- 
swering love.  This  is  peculiarly  and  distinct- 
ively the  picture  of  John's  Gospel.  There  is  a 
Man  walking  towards  you  in  these  pages.  Turn 
where  you  will  there  He  is,  and  always  facing 
you,  with  a  gentle  eagerness  in  His  face  and  in 
the  bend- forward  of  His  body. 

There  is  always  a  warmth,  a  gentle  radiating 
comforting  drawing  warmth  in  His  presence. 
This  is  the  thing  you  feel  most,  the  warmth. 
But  it  isn't  the  only  thing.  There's  the  purity. 
There  are  ideals  that  seem  out  of  reach  in  their 
great  height.  There's  the  insistence  on  these 
ideals,  rigid  stern  absolutely  unbending  insist- 
ence.    You  see  these.     You  can't  help  it.     You 

*  Ephesians  i.  19-23.  "  Revelation  i.  13-18. 


^3^      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

feel  them  tremendously.  They  seem  to  leave 
you  clear  out  of  reckoning,  they  are  so  high  up. 
But  there's  the  warmth,  drawing  arousing 
wooing,  irresistible. 

You  come  to  find  that  the  warmth  of  that  pres- 
ence is  as  irresistible  as  the  ideals  and  the  insist- 
ence are  unbending.  And  the  warmth  woos  you. 
It  warms  you,  till  there  come  the  intense  admi- 
ration of  the  ideals,  and  then  the  eager  reaching 
of  the  whole  being  up  towards  them. 

This  is  John's  picture  of  the  brooding  wooing 
Jesus.  This  is  God,  in  human  garb  as  He  comes 
to  us  in  John's  pages.  Jesus  is  God  brooding 
over  us  to  woo  out  of  us  the  love  and  purity,  the 
purity  and  love,  that  He  woos  into  us  by  the 
touch  of  His  own  warm  presence. 

John's  little  book  is  put  together  as  simply  as 
his  sentences.  And  as  you  take  it  up,  it  falls 
apart  almost  of  itself,  so  simple  and  natural  are 
its  divisions.  We  had  a  look  at  the  opening 
paragraphs  of  the  Gospel,  those  eighteen  brief 
verses  that  open  the  doorway  into  all  the  Gospel 
holds  for  us.  There  is  given  chiefly  John's  simple 
vivid  tremendous  picture  of  a  Person,  coming 
with  swift  long  stride  and  outreached  hands. 

Now  we  ^turn  to  the  second  part  of  the  book. 
It  runs  from  the  nineteenth  verse  of  the  openiDg 
chapter  on  through  to  the  end  of  chapter  twelve. 
It  is  devoted  to  the  great  winsome  wooing  of  this 
great  human  Person.  Here  we  see  Him  on  His 
wooing  errand.  He  woos  individual  men.  He 
gives  the  personal  touch.  He  devotes  Himself  to 
one  person,  now  here,  now  there.     His  skill  and 


The  Lover  Wooing  137 

tact  in  personal  dealing  are  matchless.  But  this  is 
not  the  chief  wooing  of  these  pages.  It  is  the  na- 
tion He  is  wooing.  With  rarest  strategy  and 
boldness  and  persistence  He  lays  loving  siege  to 
the  nation  through  its  leaders.  This  is  central 
and  dominant  in  all  His  movements  here.  This 
is  the  second  picture  in  the  gallery  of  John's 
Gospel. 

It  is  a  good  thing  to  run  through  these  fourteen 
pages  of  John's  Gospel  several  times;  to  run 
through  rapidly,  though  not  hurriedly ;  to  run 
through  them  as  a  story  until  it  stands  out  in 
your  mind  as  one  simple  connected  story.  And 
then  it  will  help  greatly,  if  you  are  so  blest  as  to 
have  some  boy  or  girl  near  at  hand  to  whom  you 
can  tell  it  as  a  story  in  simple  child  (not  childish) 
talk. 

Pack  the  whole  into  one  story  of  ten  minutes, 
or  fifteen  :  the  man  of  the  story  ; '  how  He  tried 
to  win  the  people's  hearts ;  ^  how  towards  the  end 
He  spent  a  long  evening  with  those  who  loved 
Him  ; '  how  awfully  He  was  treated  by  those  who 
hated  Him  ;  *  then  how  wondrously  He  surprised 
His  friends  ;  ^  and  then  the  little  bit  at  the  end 
where  He  prepares  breakfast  and  has  a  walk  and 
talk  on  the  seashore  with  a  little  group  of  those 
who  loved  Him  most.® 

Tell  that  to  a  boy  or  girl  as  a  short  story.  Use 
sensible  words,  but  not  one  that  your  little  listener 
wouldn't  at  once  understand.     Pretty  sharp  dis- 

1  i.  1-18.  ^  i.  19-xii.  50. 

'  Chapters  xiii.-xvii.  *  Chapters  xviii.-xix. 

°  Chapter  xs.  «  Chapter  xxi. 


138      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

cipline  for  the  story-teller,  especially  if  you  stop 
to  put  in  a  simpler  word  when  you've  blundered 
into  a  big  one.  The  child  will  be  held  by  it. 
But  you  will  get  the  most  yourself  out  of  the  tell- 
ing. 

Warp-  Threads. 

Now  as  you  read  the  second  part  over,  it  grad- 
ually sifts  itself  into  several  incidents  about 
which  the  story  is  woven.  These  incidents  form 
the  warp-threads  of  the  narrative.  Into  this 
warp  are  woven,  sometimes  little  connecting 
links,  sometimes  quarrelsome  discussion,  some- 
times exquisite  bits  of  Jesus'  teaching,  and  some- 
times John's  comments.  And  as  the  story  grows 
it  reaches  one  climax  after  another,  each  increas- 
ing in  intensity,   until  the  intensest  is  reached.' 

*  There  are  nineteen  of  these  incidents  : 

1.  The  official  deputation,  i.  19-51. 

2.  Marriage  in  Cana,  ii.  1-11. 

3.  Cleansing  the  Temple,  ii.  13-22. 

4.  Nicodemus,  iii,  1-21. 

5.  Dispute  about  purifying,  iii.  22-36. 

6.  Samaritan  woman,  iv.  1-42. 

7.  Nobleman's  son,  iv.  46-54, 

8.  Thirty-eight  years  infirmity,  v. 

9.  Feeding  five  thousand,  vi.  1-15. 

10.  Walking  on  water  and  discussion,  vi.  16-71. 

11.  At  Feast  of  Tabernacles,  vii. 

12.  Accused  woman,  viii.  1-11. 

13.  First  attempt  to  stone,  viii.  12-59. 

14.  Man  born  blind,  ix.  1-x.  21. 

15.  Second  stoning,  s.  22-42. 

16.  Lazarus,  xi. 

17.  Bethany  Feast,  xii.  1-11, 

18.  Triumphal  Entry,  xii.  12-ia 
\9.  The  Greeks,  xii.  20-50. 


The  Lover  Wooing  139 

And  these  incidents  fall  naturally  into  groups. 
There  are  three  chief  groups  that  seem  to  stand 
out  as  giving  the  bolder  points  of  the  outline,  and 
then  smaller  groups  or  single  incidents  that  lie  in 
between. 

It  is  very  natural  that  the  story  begins  with 
the  accounts  of  the  deputation  that  was  sent  from 
Jerusalem  by  the  official  leaders  of  the  nation, 
down  to  the  Jordan  bottoms  where  John  the  wit- 
ness was  drawing  such  great  crowds.  John 
modestly  answers  their  questions  about  himself, 
and  then  the  next  day  with  dramatic  intensity 
points  out  the  Man  for  whom  the  whole  nation 
has  been  looking  for  so  long. 

The  only  response  from  deputation  and  officials 
is  a  most  significant  disappointing  silence,  a 
silence  fully  understood  both  by  John  *  and  by 
Jesus.'  But  five  Galileans  in  the  crowd  listening 
to  John's  reply  seek  out,  or  are  brought  into  per- 
sonal questioning  touch  with,  Jesus,  and  then 
yield  Him  unquestioning  belief  and  personal  de- 
votion. And  these  five  come,  in  after  years,  to 
be  leaders  known  wherever  Christ's  name  is 
known.'  So  there  begins  the  sharp  contrast  run- 
ning throughout  these  pages,  between  the  two 
sides  into  which  Jesus'  presence  divides  the 
crowds. 

Then  John  traces  the  simple  way  in  which  the 
faith  of  these  five  men  ran  its  tiny  but  tough  te- 
nacious tendril -roots  down  into  their  very  vitals. 
A  simple  neighbourhood  wedding  occasion  up 
near  the  old  Nazareth  home  drew  Jesus  thither 

»iii.  32.  'iii.  H.  *»•  19-51* 


140      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

with  His  kinsfolk  and  His  new-made  friends. 
And  then  He  meets  the  need  of  the  homely  oc- 
casion by  helping  out  the  shortened  supply  of 
wine  in  such  an  unusual  way  as  reveals  His  char- 
acter. And  the  conviction  takes  great  fresh  hold 
upon  these  five  meu  that  they  have  made  no  mis- 
take. This  Man  is  all  they  had  taken  Him  for, 
and  He  is  immensely  more  than  they  had  thought 
into  at  first.' 

Then  comes  a  little  connecting  link.  After  the 
Cana  visit,  Jesus  runs  into  the  near-by  town  of 
Capernaum  with  His  kinsfolk  and  friends  for  a 
few  days,  a  sort  of  continuation  of  the  neighbour- 
hood courtesies.^ 

And  then  at  once  John  goes  to  the  intensest, 
and  the  most  significant  incident  of  this  whole 
section  of  the  book.  It  is  the  drastic  turning  out, 
by  Jesus,  of  the  traders  in  the  temple- area  at 
Jerusalem.  This  touched  at  once  the  national 
leaders'  most  sensitive  nerve,  and  touched  it 
roughly.  It  never  ceased  aching.  This  turning 
of  the  temple-area  into  a  common  market-place, 
which  so  jarred  on  the  holy  atmosphere  of  the 
place,  and  on  Jesus'  fine  spirit,  this  was  by  ar- 
rangement with  these  leaders,  and  yielded  them 
large  profit.     Here  was  the  sore  spot. 

With  one  deft  stroke  John  lays  bare  the  secret 
of  the  intense  hatred  of  Jesus  by  these  national 
leaders,  with  which  these  pages  teem,  and  which 
came  to  its  bursting  head  at  the  cross.  Long 
after,  when  Jesus  had  died  and  been  raised,  these 
five  leading  disciples  find  a  new  streiigtheniug  of 

» ii.  1-11.  2  ji  12. 


The  Lover  Wooing  141 

their  faith  in  recalling  words  spoken  at  this  time 
by  Jesus.* 

Growing  naturally  out  of  this  Passover  visit 
comes  the  Nicodemus  incident.  Many  of  the 
Passover  crowds  were  caught  by  the  power  of 
Jesus  shown  in  the  miracles  He  did,  but  had  not 
the  seasoned  thoughtful  faith  of  these  first  dis- 
ciples. But  one  man  sifts  himself  out  by  his 
spirit  of  earnest  inquiry.  The  sharp  contrast  that 
runs  throughout  these  incidents  stands  out  here. 
This  man  is  of  the  inner  upper  cultured  circle, 
that  controlled  national  affairs,  that  sent  that 
Jordan  committee,  and  that  had  been  so  upset  by 
the  temple  cleansing. 

Yet  not  only  Nicodemus'  earnest  search  for 
truth,  and  the  questions  asked  by  him,  but  the 
fullness  and  fineness  of  spirit  truth  in  Jesus' 
words  to  him  reveal  the  true  faith  of  this  rare 
inquirer  ;  and  this  is  verified  by  his  later  actions.' 
Clearly  Jesus  found  here  an  opened  door.  Here 
is  the  first  of  those  exquisite  bits  of  Jesus'  teach- 
ing that  mark  John's  Gospel.^ 

These  four  incidents  make  up  the  first  group 
of,  what  I  think  of  as,  the  three  chief  groups  of 
incidents  in  this  section  of  John.  The  group  be- 
gins at  the  Jordan,  and  runs  up  into  Galilee,  but 
in  its  interest  and  its  chief  incident,  centres  in 
Jerusalem.  The  action  begins  with  John  the 
witness,  and  swings  naturally  to  Jesus.  The 
contrast  in  this  group  of  incidents  is  intense. 
With  the  same  evidence  at  hand,  first  contemptu- 
ous silence  and  loving  allegiance,  then  the  begin- 

» ii.  13-22.        *  vii.  50,  51  ;  xix.  39.        »  ii.  23-iii.  21. 


142      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

niugs  of  bitterest  hate  and  of  tenderest  personal 
love,  grow  up  side  by  side. 

Then  there  is  a  sort  of  swiug-away-from- Jeru- 
salem group  that  includes  three  incidents.  After 
the  rejection  of  John's  witness  to  Jesus ^  by  the 
nation's  leaders,  Jesus  withdraws  from  Jerusalem 
to  the  country  districts  of  Judea.  There  He 
takes  up  the  sort  of  work  John  has  been  doing,  so 
bearing  His  witness  to  John.  John  had  drawn 
great  crowds  down  to  the  Jordan  and  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  its  tributary  streams. 

Now  Jesus  helps  in  arousing  and  instructing 
these  crowds.  There  are  two  men  preaching  in- 
stead of  one,  and  Jesus  has  the  greater  crowds. 
This  is  used  to  make  trouble.  It  stirs  up  gossipy 
disputings.  It  is  made  to  look  like  a  jealous 
rivalry  between  the  two  men.  And  this  sup- 
posed rivalry  and  disputing  about  the  various 
claims  of  the  two  men  become  the  uppermost 
thing.  It  reflects  the  characteristic  spirit  of  the 
leaders.  John  greatly  renews  his  witness  to 
Jesus  with  fresh  emphasis  and  earnestness.^ 

But  as  Jesus  sees  that  His  presence  is  only 
being  made  a  bone  of  contention  He  quietly  slips 
away  from  Judea,  turning  north  through  Samaria 
towards  Galilee.  Then  comes  the  great  story  of 
the  visit  to  Sychar,  with  the  exquisitely  tactful 
winning  of  the  sinful  woman  to  a  life  of  purity, 
and  then  using  her  as  a  messenger  to  her  people. 
Imbedded  in  the  story  is  another  bit  of  Jesus' 
simple  great  teaching  talk.' 

Then  comes  a  brief  connecting  link.     Finding 

» iii.  11,  19,  32.  »  iii.  22-36.  •'  iv   1-42. 


The  Lover  Wooing  143 

no  acceptance  in  Judea,  His  own  country,  Jesus 
goes  to  Galilee,  where  visitors  at  the  Jerusalem 
Feast  of  Passover  had  been  spreading  the  news  of 
His  words  and  deeds,  and  so  a  gracious  welcome 
now  awaits  Him.^ 

And  here  in  Galilee  He  wins  the  believing  love 
of  a  Eoman  ofdcer  of  noble  birth,  whose  son  is 
desperately  ill.  The  father's  faith  passes  through 
three  stages,  the  belief  that  comes  to  ask  for  help, 
the  deeper  belief  that  rests  upon  Jesus'  word  to 
him  and  starts  back  home,  and  the  yet  deeper 
that  gets  confirmation  of  Jesus'  word  and  power 
in  the  recovery  of  his  sou  from  the  very  time  Jesus 
spoke  the  assuring  word.^ 

These  are  the  three  incidents  in  this  group 
away  from  the  Jerusalem  district.  It  is  striking 
that  this  group  away  from  Jerusalem  stands  in 
sharp  contrast  with  that  first  group  centering  in 
Jerusalem.  Tliere  is  rejection  by  the  nation's 
leaders  running  from  contemptuous  sileuce  to  the 
beginning  of  open  opposition.  Here  with  less 
evidence  there  is  acceptance  by  a  Samaritan  and 
a  Eoman ;  the  one  of  no  social  standing ;  the 
other  of  the  highest. 

The  rejection  of  Jesus  by  the  leaders  stands  in 
contrast  thus  far  with  acceptance  of  Him  by  five 
Galileans,  by  a  cultured  scholarly  aristocrat,  a 
half-breed  Samaritan,  and  a  Eoman  of  gentle 
birth.  Acceptance  seems  to  grow  with  the  dis- 
tance from  Jerusalem.  Yet  everything  hinged 
in  Jerusalem.  There  had  been  the  flood-light. 
Jerusalem  was  meant  to  be  the  gateway  to  the 

>  iv.  43-45.  =*  iv.  46-54, 


144      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

world.      The  irony  of  sin  !      The  blinding  of 
greed  !    The  self-cheating  of  being  self-centered  ! 


Climbing  towards  the  Climax. 

And  now,  true  to  his  controlling  thought,  John 
goes  straight  back  to  Jerusalem  with  his  story, 
ignoring  intervening  events.  There's  another 
feast,  not  called  a  Passover,  but  commonly  and 
probably  correctly  so  reckoned,  another  crowd- 
gathering  Passover.  An  extreme  chronic  case  of 
bodily  infirmity  draws  out  the  pity  and  power  of 
Jesus,  and  the  healed  man  takes  his  first  walk 
after  thirty-eight  years. 

But  the  thing  is  done  on  a  Sabbath  day,  and 
gives  rise  to  bitterest  and  murderous  persecution, 
first  on  the  score  of  Sabbath  observance,  and  then 
because  Jesus  claimed  God  as  -'His  own  Father  " 
in  a  distinctive  sense.  Friction  fire  may  send  out 
beautiful  sparks.  And  the  opposition  brings  out 
one  of  the  choicest  bits  of  Jesus'  teaching  to  be 
found  in  John.     This  incident  stands  by  itself ' 

And  now  John  reaches  over  a  whole  year  with 
only  a  sentence  or  two  for  connection,  and  comes 
again  to  a  Passover.  The  Passover  was  the  pivot 
of  the  Jewish  year  and  of  Jewish  national  life. 
This  Passover  is  made  notable  by  Jesus'  absence 
from  Jerusalem,  the  only  Passover  absence  of  His 
ministry.  And  the  reason  is  the  violence  of  the 
persecution  by  the  national  leaders. 

There  is  the  feeding  of  the  hungry  thousands 
with  a  handful  of  loaves  and  fish.     Was  this  the 

»  V.  1-47. 


The  Lover  Wooing  145 

real  Passover  celebration?  The  multitudes  fed 
by  Him  who  was  the  Lamb  of  God  and  the  true 
Bread  of  life  I  while  the  technical  observance  was 
empty  of  life  ?  It  wouldn't  be  the  only  thing  of 
the  sort,  in  ancient  times  or  modern.^ 

Jesus  withdraws  from  the  crowds  who  would 
like  a  bread-maker  for  a  king,  gets  a  bit  of  quiet 
alone  with  His  Father  on  the  mountainside,  and 
then  walks  on  the  water  in  the  storm  to  keep  His 
appointment  with  the  disciples.  Then  follows  a 
long  disputation  and  another  fine  bit  of  Jesus' 
teaching.^  These  two  incidents  make  another 
distinct  group,  separated  from  the  previous  one 
by  a  year  on  the  far  side  and  six  mouths  on  the 
hither  side.  And  the  contrast  continues,  between 
the  acceptance  by  the  Galilean  crowds  and  the 
intensifying  opposition  by  the  chief  group  of 
Jerusalem  leaders. 

Then  comes  the  second  cJiief  groiq)  of  incidents. 
About  six  months  later  Jesus  returns  to  Jeru- 
salem for  the  autumn  Feast  of  Tabernacles.  He 
boldly  teaches  in  the  temple  in  the  midst  of  much 
opposition,  bitter  discussion,  and  concerted  offi- 
cial effort  against  Him.^  The  dramatic  incident 
of  the  accused  woman  and  the  conscience-stricken 
leaders  *  is  followed  by  a  yet  more  bitter  discus- 
sion and  by  the  first  passionate  attempt  at  ston- 
ing.^ 

Then  the  incident  of  the  man  born  blind  but 
now  blessedly  given  his  sight  leads  to  the  bitter- 
est opposition  thus  far,  and  the  casting  of  the  man 

'  vi.  1-14.  2  yi^  15-71. 

»vu.  1-52.  *vm.  1-11.  ^vm.  12-59. 


146      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

out  from  all  religious  privileges  ;  and  is  followed 
by  the  rare  bit  of  sheepfold  and  shepherd  teach- 
ing.^ These  four  incidents  make  up  the  second 
great  outstanding  group  of  incidents,  and  mark 
the  sharpest  clash  and  crisis  thus  far. 

A  few  months  later  at  another  Jerusalem  feast 
called  the  Feast  of  the  Dedication,  comes  a  second 
hotly  impulsive  riotous  attempt  at  stoning,  and 
then  an  attempt  to  arrest,  both  foiled  by  the  re- 
straint of  Jesus'  mere  presence  and  personal 
power. '^  And  another  connecting  link  traces  His 
going  away  beyond  the  Jordan  Eiver,  where  the 
crowds  gather  to  Him,  and  are  won  to  warm 
personal  belief.* 

Another  little  gap  of  a  few  mouths  passed  over 
in  silence,  brings  the  narrative  to  the  third  and 
last  chief  group  of  incidents  in  this  part  of  the 
book,  and  so  leads  immediately  up  to  the  great 
j&nal  events  of  the  whole  book. 

The  illness  and  death  of  Lazarus  draws  Jesus 
back  to  a  suburb  of  Jerusalem,  Bethany.  Then 
the  stupendous  incident  of  the  raising  of  Lazarus 
leads  to  the  official  decision  to  put  Jesus  to  death.* 
And  a  connecting  link  of  verses  tells  of  Jesus' 
cautious  withdrawal,  of  the  inquiring  crowds 
coming  to  the  approaching  Passover,  and  of  the 
public  notice  given  that  Jesus  was  under  official 
condemnation.* 

It  is  at  the  home  feast  given  in  Bethany  as  a 
tribute  of  love  to  Jesus  that  Judas,  coldly  criti- 
cizing a  warm  act  of  tender  love,  and  gently  re- 

»ix.  1-x.  21.  «x.  22-39. 

*x.  40-42.  *xi.  1-53.  6x1.54-57. 


The  Lover  Wooing  147 

baked  by  Jesus,  gets  into  that  bad  heat  of  temper 
out  of  which  came  the  foul  bargaining  and  be- 
trayal.* Another  brief  connecting  link  lets  us 
see  the  crowds  more  eagerly  inquiring  for  Jesus 
because  of  the  raising  of  Lazarus,  and  the  deter- 
mined priests  coolly  plotting  Lazarus'  death,  too.* 

Then  comes  Jesus'  faithful  open  offer  of  Him- 
self in  kingly  fashion  to  the  nation,  with  the 
tremendous  enthusiasm  of  the  multitudes,  and 
the  hardening  of  the  official  purpose  to  do  the 
one  thing  that  will  offset  this  wild-fire  enthu- 
siasm.* 

And  then  comes  the  apparently  simple,  but  in 
meaning  tremendous,  incident  of  the  inquiring 
Greeks.  The  Jew  door  is  slamming  shut,  but 
the  outside  door  is  opening.  Here  the  whole 
world  opens  its  door,  its  front  door,  in  these 
Greek  representatives  of  the  best  culture  the 
earth  knew.  But  Jesus'  vision  never  blurs.  He 
understands;  He  alone.  The  only  route  to 
Greece  and  the  whole  outer  world  is  the  under- 
ground route,  the  way  through  Joseph's  tomb. 

And  as  the  intense  spirit- struggle  passes,  Jesus 
quietly  goes  on  with  His  searching  appealing 
talk  to  the  crowd,  and  then  slips  away  into  hid- 
ing till  His  hour  had  full  come.*  And  with  break- 
ing heart  John  sadly  recalls  Isaiah's  wondrous 
foresight  of  just  these  days  and  events.^  These 
are  the  four  incidents  in  this  third  chief  group. 

And  so  the  door  shuts.  The  wooing  ceases. 
This  bit  of  John's  story  is  done.     The  evidence 

>xii.  1-8.  »xii.  9-11. 

»  xii.  12-19.  *  xii.  20-36.  *  xU.  37-50. 


148      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

is  all  in.  The  case  is  made  up.  The  nation's 
door  to  its  King  shuts.  The  Lover's  wooing  of 
the  nation  ceases.  John  turns  to  a  new  chapter. 
No  further  evidence  is  brought  forward.  The 
case  rests  with  the  jury.  The  door  had  been 
shutting  for  a  good  while.  The  inside  door- 
keepers had  been  pulling  it  hard.  But  the  great 
Man  outside  had  His  hand  on  the  knob  delaying 
the  shutting  process,  in  the  earnest  hope  that  it 
yet  might  be  quite  stopped.  Now  His  hand  re- 
luctantly loosens  its  hold.  The  knob  is  free. 
The  inside  pull  does  its  work.  The  door  goes 
to  with  a  vigorous  slam. 

The  wooing  is  not  wholly  done.  There  is  still 
the  indirect,  the  tacit  wooing.  There's  still  op- 
portunity. All  through  that  fateful  night  from 
Gethsemaue's  gate,  to  the  last  word  at  Pilate's 
seat  the  Lover  is  wooing.  But  it  is  wooing  by 
action,  by  presence,  by  yielding.  No  pleading 
word  is  spoken.  The  direct  wooing  is  done. 
Tender,  earnest,  insistent,  patient,  tremendous, 
irresistible  in  itself  save  to  those  who  willed  to 
resist  anything  and  everything  no  matter  what  or 
whom, — wondrous  wooing  it  has  been.  Now  it's 
over.     That  chapter  is  done. 

Way-marks  in  John's  Narrative. 

Out  of  this  simple  running  account  several 
things  sift  themselves,  and  stand  out  to  our  eyes. 
The  action  of  the  story  swings  chiefly  about  Jem- 
salem.  The  other  parts  seem  but  background  to 
make  Jerusalem  stand  out  big.     In  this  John's 


The  Lover  Wooing  149 

Gospel  differs  radically  from  the  other  three. 
They  are  absorbed  chiefly  with  the  tireless 
gracious  Galilean  ministry  of  Jesus,  till  the  last 
great  events  force  them  to  Jerusalem. 

And  the  reason  is  plain.  Jerusalem  is  Israel. 
It  is  the  nation.  Jesus  is  wooing  the  nation 
through  its  leaders.  Why?  For  the  nation's 
sake?  for  Israel's  sake?  Yes  and  no.  Because 
these  Jews  were  favourites  of  God  ?  Distinctly 
no,  though  so  highly  favoured  they  had  been  in 
the  wondrous  mission  entrusted  to  them.  But 
because  Israel  was  the  gateway  to  a  world  ?  Yes, 
for  Israel's  sake.  Through  this  gateway,  so  care- 
fully prepared  when  every  other  gate  was  closing, 
through  this  out  to  a  world — this  was  the  plan 
of  action.  And  this  will  yet  be  found  to  be  the 
plan.  Through  a  Jewish  gateway  the  King  will 
one  day  go  out  to  touch  His  world.  This  is  the 
geography  of  John's  story. 

The  action  of  the  story  swirls  largely,  too,  about 
the  great  national  feasts,  the  Passovers,  the  Taber- 
nacles or  harvest-home  feast  of  the  autumn,  and 
cue  called  "the  Dedication,"  not  elsewhere 
spoken  of.  To  these  came  great  crowds  of 
pilgrim  Jews  from  all  quarters  of  the  world, 
speaking  many  languages  beside  their  national 
Hebrew,  giving  large  business,  especially  to 
money-brokers  and  traders  in  the  animals  and 
birds  used  in  the  sacrifices.  That  classical 
Pentecost  Chapter  of  Acts  gives  the  wide  range 
of  countries  and  of  languages  represented  by 
these  pilgrim  thousands.  These  feasts  are  the 
central  occasions  of  John's  story. 


150      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

Tlie  time  begins  with  John's  preaching  in  the 
Jordan  bottoms  and  reaches  up  practically  to 
the  evening  of  the  betrayal.  It  is  commonly 
reckoned  three  and  a  half  years.  That  is,  there 
are  some  months  before  that  first  Passover,  and 
then  the  events  run  through  and  up  to  the  fourth 
Passover,  reckoning  the  unnamed  feast  of  chapter 
five  as  a  Passover.  This  is  the  chronology  of 
John's  Gospel.  John's  Gospel  gives  the  only 
clue  to  the  length  of  Jesus'  ministry. 

There  are  three  groups  of  yersons.  There  are 
the  Jews.  That  is  one  of  John's  distinctive 
phrases.  By  it  he  means  as  a  rule  the  ofl&cial 
leaders  of  the  nation,  whom  in  common  with  the 
other  writers  he  also  designates  by  their  party 
names,  Pharisees,  Scribes,  Chief  Priests,  and  so 
on.  Among  these  the  name  of  Caiaphas  stands 
out,  and  later  Annas. 

Then  there  are  the  croicds,  the  masses  of  people 
that  flock  together  in  any  new  stirring  movement. 
There  are  Galilean  crowds,  feast-time  crowds  in- 
cluding the  great  numbers  of  foreign  pilgrim 
Jews,  city  crowds,  and  country  crowds.  They 
gather  to  John's  preaching.  They  gather  in 
great  numbers  in  Jerusalem,  and  on  the  Galilean 
visits.  They  are  easily  impressionable,  swayed 
by  subtle  crowd-contagion,  stirred  up  and  played 
upon  cunningly  by  the  opposition  leaders. 

They  appeal  greatly  to  Jesus,  like  un- 
shepherded  sheep.  And  the  sick  and  needy 
ones,  so  numerous,  draw  out  His  pity  and  warm 
touch  and  healing  power.  They  believe  quickly, 
and  almost  as  quickly  are  turned  away  and  desert 


The  Lover  Wooing  151 

the  cause  they  had  so  quickly  and  warmly  rallied 
to.  Fickle,  unthoughtful,  easily-swayed,  needy 
crowds,  but  with  the  thoughtful  ones  and  groups 
here  and  there  who  are  really  helped  and  who 
stick.    These  crowds  are  always  in  evidence. 

And  there  are  the  disciples.  There  is  the  inner 
group  of  chosen  ones  who  companion  with  Jesus, 
sharing  His  bread  and  bed,  and  close  witnesses 
of  His  gracious  spirit  and  unfailing  power,  with 
impulsive  heady  Peter  and  faithful  steady  John 
always  nearest  by.  What  a  schooling  all  this 
was  for  them  !  And  there  are  other  disciples, 
not  of  this  picked  circle,  but  on  most  intimate 
personal  terms  with  the  Master,  some  of  them, 
like  thoughtful  cautious  Nicodemus,  like  the 
Bethany  group  of  three,  and  Mary  the  Magdalene, 
And  there  is  the  larger,  looser,  changing  body  of 
disciples,  mingling  with  the  crowds,  sometimes 
deserting,  but  no  doubt  with  many  thoughtful 
devoted  ones  among  them.  These  are  the  lead- 
ing persons  figuring  in  John's  story,  grouped 
about  the  person  of  Jesus. 

But  these  are  simply  interesting  incidentals 
giving  local  colouring  to  John's  story.  We  pass 
by  them  quickly  now  to  a  few  things  that  take 
great  hold  of  one's  heart,  that  stand  out  biggest, 
and  give  the  real  action  of  life  to  the  story. 

Tapestry  Threads, 

As  we  unravel  the  fabric  of  John's  Gospel 
there  are  three  threads  that  stand  out  by  reason 
vi  the  distinctness  of  their  colours.    There's  a 


152      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

thread  of  clear  decided  blue.  There's  a  dark 
ugly  black  thread  that  gets  blacker  as  it  weaves 
itself  farther  in.  And  then  there's  a  bright 
yellow  glory-colour  thread  that  shines  with 
brighter  lustre  as  the  black  gets  blacker. 

Trace  the  blue  first,  the  thread  of  a  simple 
glad  acceptance  of  Jesus,  and  trust  in  Him,  It 
deepens  in  its  fine  shading  of  blue  as  you  follow 
it,  true  blue,  the  colour  true  hearts  wear.  From 
the  very  first  Jesus  is  accepted  by  some,  by  many. 
And  this  continues  steadily  through  to  the  very 
last.  Some  doors  open  at  once  to  Him.  Then 
under  the  influence  of  His  presence  and  gentle 
resistless  power  they  open  wide,  and  then  wider. 

It  is  fascinating  to  trace  the  simply  told  story 
of  growing  faith,  until  one's  own  faith  gets  clearer 
and  steadier  and  has  more  warm  glow  to  it.  To 
adapt  Tennyson's  fine  lines,  as  knowledge  grows 
from  more  to  more  there  dwells  in  us  more  of  the 
deep  tender  reverence  of  love,  until  all  the  powers 
of  mind  and  spirit  chord  into  one  symphony  of 
unending  music.  And  the  wheels  of  our  common 
life  move  always  to  its  rhythmic  swing. 

See  how  the  crowds  crowd  to  Jesus,  and  open 
up  to  the  appeal  of  His  words  and  acts  and 
presence.  Many  of  the  pilgrim  crowds  of  that 
first  Passover  believe,  impressed  by  Jesus'  spirit 
of  helpfulness  and  His  unusual  power.^  And  the 
Galileans  among  them  give  Him  warm  welcome 
as  He  comes  up  into  their  country.'  It  is  a  great 
multitude  that  follows  eagerly  up  on  the  east  coast 
of  the  Galilean  sea,  hail  Him  as  the  long-expected 

*  ii.  23.  a  j^^  45^ 


The  Lover  Wooing  153 

prophet  of  their  nation,  talk  of  plans  for  making 
Him  their  King,  and  earnestly  cry  out,  "  Lord, 
evermore  give  us  this  (true)  bread."  ' 

Even  in  the  midst  of  the  bickering  discussions 
at  the  Tabernacles  Feast  many  of  the  multitude 
believed  on  Him,  some  as  the  loug-talked-of 
prophet,  some  as  the  very  Christ  Himself^  And 
as  He  talks  to  His  critics  of  His  purpose  always 
to  please  the  Father,  still  others  are  drawn  in 
heart  to  Him  and  believe.^  And  at  this  same 
time,  as  the  criticism  gets  uglier,  many  make 
bold  to  speak  out  on  His  behalf*  though  it  was 
getting  to  be  a  dangerous  thing  to  do.  As  He 
feels  compelled  to  withdraw  from  the  tense  at- 
mosphere of  Jerusalem,  and  goes  away  into  the 
country  districts  beyond  the  Jordan  the  people 
come  flocking  to  Him  with  open  hearts.^ 

The  Lazarus  incident  made  inroads  into  the 
upper  circles  of  Jerusalem,  many  of  the  in- 
fluential social  class  with  whom  these  dear 
Bethany  friends  seem  on  close  terms,  and  who 
had  been  out  there  during  those  stirring  days, 
believe  on  Jesus,  and  many  of  the  common 
people,  too,  are  won  by  that  occurrence.®  That 
tremendous  raising  of  Lazarus  had  much  to  do 
with  the  great  acclaim  of  the  multitudes  as  Jesus 
rode  into  Jerusalem  on  the  kingly  colt.'^ 

It  is  without  doubt  a  sincere  homage  that  these 
multitudes  from  far  and  near,  and  the  home 
crowds,   render,  with  their  palm  branches  and 

^  vi.  1-2,  14,  15,  34.  «  vii.  31,  40,  41. 

•viii.  30.  *x.  20,  21.  ^x.  40-42. 

«xi  45  ;  xii.  9-1 »  »  xii  17-ia 


154      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

garment-strewn  roads,  and  spontaneous  outburst 
of  joyous  song/  And  now  as  John  put  his  bit  of 
a  knotted  summary  on  the  end  of  this  part  of  his 
story,  he  points  out  that  even  among  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Jewish  Senate  there  were  many  real 
believers.' 

But  a  crowd  is  a  strange  complex  thing.  It 
doesn't  know  itself.  It's  easily  swept  along  to 
do  as  a  crowd  what  would  never  be  done  by  each 
one  off  by  himself.  And  this  works  in  good 
ways  as  well  as  in  bad.  Jesus  drew  the  crowds 
and  was  drawn  by  them.  He  couldn't  withstand 
the  pull  of  the  crowd.  The  lure  of  its  intense 
need  was  irresistible  to  Him.  Yet  He  knew 
crowds  rarely. 

He  was  never  blinded  by  their  enthusiasm. 
His  keen  insight  saw  under  the  surface,  though 
it  never  held  Him  critically  back  from  helping. 
He  quickly  notes  that  the  belief  of  those  first 
Passover  crowds  has  not  reached  the  dependable 
stage.'  He  is  never  held  back  from  showing  the 
red  marks  in  the  road  to  be  trodden  even  though 
many  of  His  disciples  balk  at  going  farther  on 
such  a  road,  and  some  turn  away  to  an  easier 
road,*  so  revealing  an  utter  lack  of  the  real  thing. 
And  even  where  there's  real  faith  of  the  sincere 
sort  it  is  yet  sometimes  not  of  the  seasoned  sort 
that  can  stand  the  storms.* 

These  crowds  seem  of  close  kin  to  more  modern 
crowds.  One  touch  of  a  crowd  rubs  out  centuries 
of  difference  and  shows  one  family  blood  in  us 

»xii.  12-14.  2jii  42, 

»ii.  23-25.  *vi.  6O-660  »xii.  42-43. 


The  Lover  Wooing  155 

all.  Yet  keep  things  poised.  It  was  out  of  these 
crowds  that  there  came  the  disciples  and  close 
friends  to  whom  we  now  turn.  There's  gold  in 
the  crowds,  finest  twenty-four  carat  gold.  It's 
all  a  matter  of  mining.  Skilful  mining  gets  out 
the  gold.  This  wondrous  Lover  used  the  mag- 
netic-current method  of  mining,  the  love-current. 
The  strong  warm  current,  the  fine  personal  spirit 
current,  drew  out  to  Him  the  fine  grains  of  gold 
in  these  human  crowds. 

Growing  Faith. 

Now  we  climb  the  hill  where  the  disciples  are. 
The  crowds  are  in  the  bottom-lands.  Many  have 
started  up  the  hill.  Jesus  always  woos  men  up- 
hill. You  can  always  tell  a  man  by  where  he  is 
standing,  bottom-land,  hillside,  higher-hill-slope, 
hilltop.  We  turn  now  from  the  crowds  that  be- 
lieved to  those  whose  personal  acceptance  of 
Jesus  drew  them  into  the  inner  circle. 

The  first  three  incidents  trace  the  beginnings 
of  faith  in  those  first  close  disciples  who  came  to 
be  numbered  among  the  picked  inner  twelve.' 
The  first  story  is  one  of  the  rarest  of  John's  many 
rare  stories.  It  is  characteristic  of  the  real  thing 
of  faith  that  beginning  with  two  they  quickly 
number  five.  The  attachment  of  the  two  to 
John,  the  Witness,  reveals  them  as  of  the  earnest 
inquiring  sort,  after  the  very  best.  John  never 
forgot  that  talk  with  Jesus  in  the  gathering  twi- 
light by  the  Jordan.     It  sends  Andrew  out  for 

»i,  35-51  ;  ii.  1-11  ;  iii.  13-22. 


156      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

Peter,  and  John  likely  for  James,  while  the 
Master  gets  Philip,  and  he  in  turn  Nathaniel. 
That  reveals  the  real  stuff  of  faith.  It  has  a 
mind  whose  questionings  have  been  satisfied,  a 
heart  that  catches  fire,  and  feet  that  hasten  out- 
of-doors  for  others.     That's  the  real  thing. 

Their  faith  takes  deeper  root  at  Cana.  A  new 
personal  experience  of  Jesus'  power  is  a  great 
deepener  of  faith,  the  great  deepener.  This  is 
the  only  pathway  from  faith  to  a  deeper  realer 
sturdier  faith.  A  man  can  get  a  deeper  faith 
only  by  walking  on  his  own  feet  where  Jesus 
leads. 

Their  faith  grows  imperceptibly  but  by  leaps 
and  bounds.  It  grows  down  deeper  and  so  up 
stronger  and  out  farther  by  their  companionship 
with  Jesus  through  those  brief  packed  years. 
What  a  school  that  was !  the  school  of  compan- 
ionship with  Jesus,  with  lessons  daily,  but  the 
chiefest  lesson  the  Teacher  Himself.  What  a 
school  it  is  !  The  only  one  for  learning  the  real 
thing  of  faith  :  still  open  :  pupils  received  at  any 
time. 

If  we  would  shut  our  eyes  and  go  with  them  as 
they  company  with  Jesus  through  those  wondrous 
days  and  events  and  experiences  we  may  get 
some  hold  on  how  their  faith  grew.  They 
actually  saw  the  handful  of  loaves  and  fishes 
grow  in  their  hands  until  thousands  were  fed. 
Their  own  eyes  saw  Jesus  walking  on  the  water. 

It  was  out  of  their  very  hearts  that  they  cry 
out  through  Peter's  lips  in  answer  to  Jesus' 
pathetic  pleading  question  and  say,  "  To  whom 


The  Lover  Wooing  157 

shall  we  go?  Thou  hast  the  words  of  eternal 
life.'"  And  without  doubt  Thomas  acts  as 
spokesman  for  all  when  Jesus  announced  His  in- 
tention of  returning  to  the  danger  zone,  and 
Thomas  sturdily  says,  ''Let  us  also  go,  that  we 
may  die  with  Him."  ^ 

But  you  are  thinking  of  that  terrible  break  of 
theirs  on  the  betrayal  night,  are  you?  Well, 
perhaps  if  we  call  to  mind  with  what  an  utter 
shock  the  events  of  that  terrific  twenty  four  hours 
came,  intensified  the  more  by  the  unexpectedness 
and  the  suddenness  of  it ;  and  then  if — perhaps— 
we  may  call  to  mind  the  more  recent  behaviour 
of  some  modern  disciples  who  have  had  enormous 
advantages  over  them  in  regard  to  that  terrific 
experience  it  may  chasten  our  feelings  a  bit  and 
soften  the  edge  of  our  thought  about  them. 

But  dear  faithful  John  never  faltered.  "We 
must  always  love  him  for  that.  How  humiliating 
for  us  if  not  even  one  had  stood  that  test.  And 
how  their  after- contact  with  John  must  have  af- 
fected the  others.  John  pulled  the  others  back 
and  up.  And  how  their  faith  so  sorely  chastened 
and  tested  came  to  its  fine  seasoned  strength  after- 
wards. 

These  very  events  of  the  early  days  now  come 
back  with  new  meaning  to  them.  Jesus'  words 
at  the  temple  cleansing,  and  the  kingly  entry  into 
Jerusalem,  shine  now  in  a  new  light  and  give  new 
strength  to  their  faith.^  But  John  himself  brings 
us  back  to  this  again  in  that  long  talk  of  the  be- 
trayal night.    So  we  leave  it  now.     But  blue  is  a 

>  vi.  66-69.  2  xi.  16.  « ii.  22  ;  xii.  16. 


158      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

good  colour  for  the  eyes.  It  reveals  great  beauty 
in  the  bit  of  tapestry-pattern  John  is  weaving  for 
us  to  trace  these  true  blue  threadings. 

But  there's  more  here,  much  more,  that  adds 
greatly  to  the  pattern.  There  are  faithful  disciples 
a,nd  precious  intimate  friendships  outside  the  circle 
of  these  future  leaders.  Take  only  a  moment  for 
these  as  we  push  on. 

There's  that  night  visitor  of  the  early  Jeru- 
salem days.  Aristocrat,  ruler,  scholar,  with  all 
the  supercautiousness  that  these  qualities  always 
grain  in,  Nicodemus  actually  left  the  inner  circle 
of  temple-rulers  who  were  as  sore  to  the  touch  as 
a  boil  over  John's  drastic  cleansing,  and  comes 
for  a  personal  interview.  His  utter  sincerity  is 
shown  in  the  temper  of  his  remarks  and  questions, 
and  shown  yet  more  in  the  openness  of  Jesus' 
spirit  in  talking  with  him.  For  this  is  a  trait  in 
Jesus'  dealings, — openness  when  He  finds  an 
opening  door.  It  must  be  so,  then  and  now. 
He  can  open  up  only  where  there  is  an  opening 
up  to  Him.  Openness  warms  and  loosens.  The 
reverse  chills  and  locks  up.^ 

It  is  in  another  just  such  situation  but  far  more 
acute,  that  this  man  speaks  out  for  Jesus  in  an 
official  meeting  of  these  same  rulers.  Timidly  ? 
have  you  thought,  cautiously!  Yet  he  spoke 
out  when  no  one  else  did,  though  others  there  be- 
lieved in  Jesus.  A  really  rare  courage  it  was 
that  told  of  a  growing  faith.*  And  the  personal 
devotion  side  of  his  faith,  evidence  again  of  the 
real  thing,  stands  out  to  our  eyes  as  we  see  him 

>  iii.  1-21.  '  ▼«.  50-61  with  xii.  42,  43. 


The  Lover  Wooing  159 

bring  the  unusual  gift  of  very  costly  ointments  for 
the  precious  body  of  his  personal  friend.*  It's  a 
winsome  story,  this  of  Nicodemus.  May  there  be 
many  a  modern  duplicate  of  it. 

In  utter  social  contrast  stands  the  next  bit  of 
this  sort  following  so  hard  that  the  contrast 
strikes  you  at  once.  It's  a  half-breed  Samaritan 
this  time,  and  a  woman,  and  an  openly  bad 
life.  The  Samaritans  were  hated  by  Jew  and 
Gentile  alike  as  belonging  to  neither,  ground  be- 
tween the  two  opposing  social  national  mill- 
stones. Womanhood  was  debased  and  held  down 
in  the  way  all  too  familiar  always  and  every- 
where. And  a  moral  outcast  ranks  lowest  in  in- 
fluence. 

But  true  love  discerns  the  possible  lily  in  the 
black  slime  bulb  at  the  pond's  bottom  and  woos 
it  into  blossoming  flower,  till  its  purity  and  beauty 
greet  our  delighted  eyes.  Under  the  simple  tact 
of  love's  true  touch,  out  of  such  surroundings 
grows  a  faith,  through  the  successive  stages  of 
gossipy  curiosity,  cynical  remark,  interest,  eager- 
ness, guilty  self-consciousness  that  would  avoid 
any  such  personal  conversation,  out  and  out 
comes  a  faith  that  means  a  changed  life,  and  then 
earnest  bringing  of  others  till  the  whole  village 
acclaims  Jesus  a  Saviour,  the  Saviour. 

And  the  very  title  they  apply  to  Jesus  reveals 
as  by  a  flash-light  the  chief  personal  meaning  the 
interview  had  for  this  outcast  woman.  In  one 
way  her  faith  meant  more  than  Nicodemus',  for 
it  meant  a  radical  change  of  outer  life  with  her. 
^  xix.  39. 


l6o      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

And  many  a  one  stops  short  of  that,  though  the 
real  thing  never  does,  and  can't.* 

Then  the  circle  widens  yet  more,  geographically. 
Jew,  Samaritan,  it  is  a  Roman  this  time,  one  of 
the  conquering  nation  under  whose  iron  heel  the 
nation  writhes  restlessly.  He  is  of  gentle  birth 
and  high  official  position.  It  is  his  sense  of 
acute  personal  need  that  draws  him  to  Jesus. 
The  child  of  his  love  is  slipping  from  his  cling- 
ing but  helpless  grasp. 

There's  the  loose  sort  of  hearsay  groping  faith 
that  turns  to  Jesus  in  desperation.  Things  can't 
be  worse,  and  possibly  there  might  be  help. 
There's  the  very  different  faith  that  looks  Jesus 
in  the  face  and  hears  the  simple  word  of  assur- 
ance so  quietly  spoken.  He  actually  heard  the 
word  spoken  about  his  dying  darling,  ^Hhy  son 
liveth. " 

Then  there  is  that  wondrous  new  sort  of  faith 
whose  sharper  hooks  of  steel  enter  and  take  hold 
of  your  very  being  as  you  actually  experience  the 
power  of  Jesus  in  a  way  wholly  new  to  you.  As 
it  came  to  his  keenly  awakened  mind  that  the 
favourable  turn  had  come  at  the  very  moment 
Jesus  uttered  those  quiet  words,  and  then  as  he 
looked  into  the  changed  face  of  his  recovering 
child,  he  became  a  changed  man.  The  faith  in 
Jesus  was  a  part  of  his  being.  The  two  could 
never  be  put  asunder.  So  the  Eoman  world 
brought  its  grateful  tribute  of  acceptance  to  this 
great  wooing  brooding  Lover.  The  wooing  had 
won  again. 

'  iv.  5t42. 


The  Lover  Wooing  i6l 

And  now  there's  another  extreme  social  turn- 
about in  the  circle  that  feels  the  power  of  Jesus' 
wooing.  We  turned  from  Jerusalem  aristocrat 
to  Samaritan  outcast ;  now  it's  from  gentle  Roman 
of&cial  to  a  beggaring  pauper.  It  is  at  the 
Tabernacles'  visit.  Jesus,  quietly  masterfully 
passing  out  from  the  thick  of  the  crowd  that 
would  stone  Him,  noticed  a  blind  ragged  beggar 
by  the  roadway.  One  of  those  speculativ^e  ques- 
tions that  are  always  pushing  in,  and  that  never 
help  any  one  is  asked  :  "  Who's  to  blame  here  ?  " 

With  His  characteristic  intense  practicality 
Jesus  quietly  pushes  the  speculative  question 
aside  with  a  broken  sentence,  a  sentence  broken 
by  His  action  as  He  begins  helping  the  man.  In 
efifect  He  says,  "  Neither  this  man  nor  his  parents 
are  immediately  to  blame ;  the  thing  goes  farther 
back.  But  " — and  He  reaches  down  and  begins 
to  make  the  soft  clay  with  His  spittle — "  the  thing 
is  to  see  the  power  of  God  at  work  to  help." 
And  the  touch  is  given  and  the  testing  command 
to  wash,  and  then  eyes  that  see  for  the  first  time. 

But  the  one  thing  that  concerns  us  now  in  this 
great  ninth  chapter  is  the  faith  that  was  so 
warmly  wooed  up  out  of  nothing  to  a  thing  of 
courageous  action  and  personal  devotion  to  Jesus. 
It  is  fairly  fascinating  to  watch  the  man  move 
from  birth-blind  hopelessness  through  clay- 
anointed  surprise  and  wonder  and  Siloam-walk- 
ing  expectancy  on  to  water- washing  eyesight. 

It  is  yet  more  fascinating  to  see  his  spirit  move 
up  in  the  language  he  uses,  from  ^Hheman  called 
Jesus,"  and  the  cautious  but  blunt  "  I  don't  know 


l62      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

about  His  being  a  sinner,  but  I  know  I  can  see,** 
on  to  the  bolder  "  clearly  not  a  sinner  but  a  man 
in  reverent  touch  with  God  Himself." 

Then  the  yet  bolder,  "a  man  from  God," 
brings  the  break  with  the  di-eaded  authorities 
which  branded  him  before  all  as  an  outcast  and 
as  a  damned  soul.  And  then  the  earnest  rever- 
ent cry  "Who  is  He,  Lord,  that  I.may  believe?" 
reveals  the  yearning  purpose  of  his  own  heart. 
And  then  the  great  climax  comes  in  the  heart 
cry,  "  Lord,  I  believe,  I  believe  Thee  to  be  the 
very  Son  of  God." 

And  the  outcast  of  the  rulers  casts  in  his  lot 
with  Jesus  and  begins  at  once  living  the  eternal 
quality  of  life  which  goes  on  endlessly.  What  a 
day  for  him  from  hopeless  blindness  of  body  and 
heart  to  eyesight  that  can  see  Jesus'  face  and 
know  Him  as  his  Saviour  and  Lord  !  Growth  of 
faith  clearly  is  not  limited  to  the  counting  of 
hours.  It  waits  only  on  one's  walking  out  fully 
into  all  the  light  that  comes,  no  matter  where  it 
may  lead  your  steps. 

The  Bethany  Height  of  Faith. 

The  Bethany  story  is  one  of  the  teuderest  of  all. 
It  touches  the  heights.  It's  a  hilltop  story,  both 
in  its  setting  amidst  the  Bethany  blue  hills  where 
it  grew  up,  and  in  the  height  of  faith  it  records,. 
It  has  personal  friendship  and  love  of  Jesus  and 
implicit  trust  in  Him  as  its  starting  point.  And 
from  this  it  reaches  up  to  levels  unknown  before. 
Faith  touches  high  water  here.     It  rises  to  flood, 


The  Lover  Wooing  163 

a  flood  that  sweeps  mightily  through  the  valleys 
of  doubt  and  questiouiugs  all  around  about. 

At  the  beginning  there  is  faith  in  Jesus  of  the 
tender,  personal  sort.  At  the  close  there's  faith 
that  He  will  actually  meet  the  need  of  your  life 
and  circumstance  without  limit.  The  highest 
faith  is  this :  connecting  Jesus'  power  and  love 
with  the  actual  need  of  your  life.  Abraham  be- 
lieved God  with  full  sincerity  that  covenant- 
making  night  under  the  dark  sky.  But  he  didn'  t 
connect  his  faith  in  God  with  his  need  and  danger 
among  the  Philistines.^  Peter  believed  in  Jesus 
fully  but  his  faith  and  his  action  failed  to  connect 
when  the  sore  test  came  that  Gethsemane  night. 

The  Bethany  pitch  of  faith  makes  connections. 
It  ties  our  God  and  our  need  and  our  action  into 
one  knot.  This  is  the  pith  of  this  whole  story. 
Jesus'  one  effort  in  His  tactful  patient  wooing  is 
to  get  Martha  up  to  the  point  of  ordering  that 
stone  aside.  He  got  her  faith  into  touch  with  the 
gravestone  of  her  sore  need.  Her  faith  and  her 
action  connected.  That  told  her  expectancy. 
Creeds  are  best  understood  when  they're  acted. 
Moving  the  stone  was  her  confession  of  faith. 
Mi  that  Jesus  was  the  Son  of  God.  That  was  set- 
tled long  before. 

No  :  it  meant  this — that  the  Son  of  God  was 
now  actually  going  to  act  as  Son  of  God  to  meet 
her  need.  Under  His  touch  her  dead  brother  was 
going  to  live.  The  deadness  that  broke  her  heart 
would  give  way  under  Jesus'  touch.  The  Beth- 
any faith  doesn't  believe  that  God  can  do  what 
*  Genesis  xv.  6  with  xx.  11. 


164      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

you  need,  merely.  It  believes  that  He  will  do  it 
And  so  the  stone's  taken  away  that  He  tnay  do  it. 
God  has  our  active  consent.  Are  we  up  on  the 
Bethany  level  ?  Has  God  our  active  consent  to 
do  all  He  would?  Is  our  faith  being  lived,  acted 
out? 

And  the  feast  of  grateful  tribute  that  followed 
has  an  exquisite  added  touch.  The  faith  that 
lets  God  into  one's  life  to  meet  its  needs  gets 
clearer  eyesight.  Acted  faith  affects  the  spirit 
vision.  There  is  a  spirit  sensitiveness  that  rec- 
ognizes God  and  discerns  how  things  will  turn 
out. 

Notice  Jesus'  words  about  Mary's  act  of 
anointing.  There  is  a  singularly  significant 
phrase  in  it.  "Let  her  keep  it  against  (or  in 
view  of)  the  day  of  My  burying."  ''  Keep  it " 
is  the  striking  phrase.  What  does  that  mean  ? 
We  speak  of  keeping  a  day,  as  Christmas,  mean- 
ing to  hallow  the  memories  for  which  it  stands. 
"Keep  it"  here  seems  to  mean  that.  Let  her 
keep  a  memorial.  Yet  it  would  be  a  memorial 
in  advance  of  the  event  remembered  and  hallowed. 

It  seems  to  suggest  that  Mary  thus  discerned 
the  outcome  for  Jesus  of  the  coming  crisis,  and 
more,  its  great  significance.  The  disciples  ex- 
pected Jesus'  power  to  overcome  all  opposition. 
She  alone  sensed  what  was  coming,  His  death 
and  its  tremendous  spirit-meaning.  And  it  is 
possible  that  the  raising  of  her  brother  helped  her 
to  sense  ahead  another  raising.  For  there  is  no 
mention  of  her  at  the  tomb,  as  would  otherwise 
have  been  most  natural. 


The  Lover  Wooing  i6^ 

Her  simple  love-lit  faith  could  see,  and  could 
see  beyond  to  the  final  outcome.  This  is  the 
story  of  the  Bethany  faith,  faith  at  flood.  This 
highest  simplest  truest  faith,  that  had  come  in 
answer  to  Jesus'  patient  persistent  wooing  for  it, 
opens  the  way  for  the  greatest  use  of  His  power 
on  record. 

There's  one  story  more  in  this  true-blue  faith 
list.  It  is  the  story  of  the  Greeks.  At  first  it 
seems  not  to  belong  in  here.  There  is  no  mention 
made  of  the  faith  of  these  men  nor  of  their  ac- 
ceptance of  Jesus.  But  the  more  you  think  into 
it  the  more  it  seems  that  here  is  its  true  place, 
and  that  this  is  why  John  brings  it  in,  not 
simply  to  show  how  the  outside  world  was  reach- 
ing for  Jesus,  but  to  show  the  inner  spirit  of  these 
men  towards  Jesus. 

Whether  the  term  Greeks  is  used  in  the  looser 
sense  for  the  Greek-speaking  Jews,*  or  for  non- 
Jewish  foreigners,  or,  as  I  think  most  likely,  in 
the  meaning  of  men  of  Grecian  blood,  residents 
of  Greece,  the  significance  is  practically  the 
same,  it  was  the  outer  world  coming  to  Jesus. 
These  had  come  a  long  journey  to  do  homage  to 
the  true  God  at  Jerusalem.  Their  presence  re- 
veals their  spirit. 

They  were  eye-  and  ear- witnesses  of  the  stirring 
events  of  those  last  days  in  Jerusalem.  The 
stupendous  story  of  the  raising  of  the  man  out  in 
the  Bethany  suburb  was  the  talk  of  the  city. 
And  then  there  was  that  intense  scene  of  the 
kingly  entry  into  the  city  amid  the  acclaiming 
^  vii,  35. 


l66      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

multitudes.  They  knew  of  the  official  opposition, 
and  the  public  proclamation  against  Jesus.  They 
breathed  the  Jerusalem  air.  That  put  them  in 
touch  with  the  whole  situation. 

Now  notice  keenly  they  seek  a  personal  inter- 
view with  Jesus.  This  is  the  practical  outcome 
of  the  situation  to  ihem.  It  reminds  one  of  that 
other  man,  under  similar  conditions  though  less 
intense,  at  an  earlier  stage,  cautiously  seeking  a 
night  interview.  Their  desire  tells  not  curiosity 
but  earnestness,  and  the  very  earnestness  reveals 
both  purpose  and  attitude  towards  Jesus. 

And  this  is  made  the  plainer  by  the  very 
words  they  use  as  they  seek  out  the  likeliest  man 
of  the  Master's  inner  circle  to  secure  the  coveted 
interview.  They  say,  "Sir,  we  would  see  Jesus.^' 
The  whole  story  of  conviction,  of  earnestness,  of 
decision,  is  in  that  tremendous  little  word 
"would."  It  was  their  will,  their  deliberate 
choice,  to  come  into  personal  relations  with  this 
Man  of  whom  they  were  hearing  so  much. 

And  it  seems  like  a  direct  allusion  to  that 
tremendous  word,  and  an  answer  to  it,  when 
Jesus,  in  effect,  in  meaning,  says,  "if  any  man 
would  follow  Me. "  Both  the  coming  under  such 
circumstances,  and  the  form  of  the  request,  seem 
to  tell  the  attitude  of  these  men  towards  Jesus 
and  their  personal  purpose  regarding  Him.  It 
would  be  altogether  likely  that  they  accompany 
Philip  as  he  seeks  out  Andrew.  It  would  be  the 
natural  thing.  And  so  they  are  with  Philip  and 
Andrew  as  they  come  to  tell  Jesus. 

Then  this  would  be  the  setting  of  these  memo- 


The  Lover  Wooing  167 

rable  intense  words  that  Jesus  now  utters.'  He 
senses  at  once  the  request  and  the  earnest  purpose 
of  these  men  seeking  Him  out.  It  is  for  them 
especially  that  these  words  are  spoken.  And  if, 
as  some  thoughtful  scholars  think,  Jesus  spake 
here,  not  in  His  native  Aramaic,  but  in  the 
Greek  tongue,  it  gives  colouring  to  the  supposi- 
tion. The  intense  earnestness  of  His  words,  and 
the  revealing  of  the  intense  struggle  within  His 
spirit  as  He  breathes  out  the  simple  prayer, — all 
this  is  a  tacit  recognition  of  the  spirit  of  these 
Greeks. 

The  parallel  is  striking  with  the  Nicodemus 
interview  where  no  direct  mention  is  made  of  the 
faith  that  later  events  showed  was  uuquestionably 
there.  It  seems  like  another  of  those  silences  of 
John  that  are  so  full  of  meaning.^  And  the 
silence  seems,  as  with  Nicodemus,  to  mean  the 
acquiescence  of  the  inquirers  in  the  message  they 
hear. 

This  then  would  seem  to  be  the  reply  to  the 
request.  They  have  indeed  seen  Jesus.  And 
they  accept  it  and  Him,  as  most  likely  they 
linger  through  the  Passover-days  at  hand  and 
then  turn  their  faces  homeward.  And  so  the 
warm  wooing  has  drawn  out  this  warm  response 
from  the  cultured  Greek  world. 

So  we  trace  the  blue  thread  in  John's  tapestry 
picture,  the  true  faith  that  is  drawn  out  from 
nothing  to  little  and  more  and  much  and  most, 

»  xii.  24-36. 

2  Note  the  official  deputation  incident  (chapter  i.),  and  the 
Nicodemns  incident  (chapter  iii.). 


1 68      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

under  the  -warmth  of  the  brooded  wooing  of  this 
great  Lover. 


The  Ugly  Thread  in  the  Weaving. 

Now  for  that  ugly  dark  thread,  the  opposition 
to,  the  rejection  of,  the  Lover's  wooing.  But 
we'll  not  linger  here.  "We've  been  seeing  so 
much  of  this  thread  as  we  traced  the  other  and 
studied  the  whole.  Ugly  things  stand  out  by 
reason  of  their  very  ugliness.  This  stands  out  in 
gloomy  disturbing  contrast  with  all  the  rest.  A 
brief  quick  tracing  will  fully  answer  our  present 
purpose.  And  then  we  can  hasten  on  to  the 
dominating  figure  in  the  pattern. 

The  opposition  begins  with  sileut  rejection, 
moves  by  steady  stages,  growing  ever  intenser 
clear  up  to  the  murderous  end.  The  sending  of 
the  committee  to  the  Jordan  to  examine  John  and 
report  on  him  was  an  official  recognition  of  his 
power.  The  questions  asked  raise  the  possibility 
clearly  being  discussed  of  John  being  the  promised 
prophet,  or  Elijah,  or  even  the  Christ  Himself,  and 
this  is  an  expression  of  the  national  expectancy. 
The  utter  silence  with  which  John's  witness  to 
Jesus  is  met  is  most  striking.'  Its  significance 
is  spoken  of  by  both  Jesus  and  Johu.^ 

The  intensity  of  the  resentment  over  the  cleans- 
ing of  the  temple-area  can  be  almost  felt  rising 
up  out  of  the  very  page,  in  the  critical  questions 
and  cynical  comment  of  the  Jews.  One  can 
easily  see  all  the  bitterness  of  their  hate  track- 

>  i.  19-34.  »  iii.  11,  32. 


The  Lover  Wooing  169 

ing  its  slimy  footprints  out  of  that  cleansed 
courtyard.^ 

The  cunning  discussion  among  the  great  Jordan 
crowds  about  the  purifying  rite  of  baptism,  stirred 
up  so  successfully  by  "a  Jeip,"  that  is,  probably 
by  one  of  the  Jerusalem  leaders,  would  seem  to 
be  a  studied  attempt  to  discredit  the  two  preach- 
ers, Jesus  and  John,  and  swing  the  crowds  away. 
It  was  shrewdly  done  and  might  have  dissipated 
the  fine  spiritual  atmosphere  by  bitter  strife  and 
discussion  had  not  Jesus  quietly  slipped  away.^ 

This  attitude  of  theirs  is  clearly  recognized 
and  felt  by  Jesus.  He  plainly  points  out  that 
vulgarizing  hurt  of  sin  whereby  God's  own  mes- 
senger is  not  recognized  when  He  comes  in  the 
garb  of  a  neighbour.* 

Then  things  get  more  acute.  The  blessed  heal- 
ing of  a  thirty-eight-year-old  infirmity  leads  to 
outspoken  persecution,  to  a  desire  and  purpose 
actually  to  kill  Jesus.  It  grew  intenser  as  Jesus' 
claim  grew  clearer.  The  issue  was  sharply  drawn. 
He  "called  God  His  oion  Father,  making  Himself 
equal  with  God. ' '     They  begin  plotting  His  death.* 

His  prudent  absence  from  Jerusalem  at  the 
time  of  the  next  Passover  rev^eals  graphically 
how  tense  the  opposition  had  gotten.  But  even 
up  by  Galilee's  shores  they  have  messengers  at 
work  amongst  the  crowds  exciting  discussion 
and  discontent  and  worse.  In  the  discussion  it 
is  easy  to  pick  out  the  two  elements,  the  nagging 
critics  and  the  earnest  seekers.     And  the  sadden- 

Mi.  13-20.  Mii,  22-iv.  3. 

»iv.  44.  *v.  16-18. 


lyo      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

ing  result  is  seen  in  many  disciples  leaving  Jesus 
and  going  back  again  tx>  their  old  way.' 

Then  things  got  so  intense  that  Jesus'  habit  of 
life  was  broken  or  changed.  He  could  no  longer 
frequent  Judea  as  He  had  done,  but  kept  pretty 
much  to  the  northern  province  of  Galilee.  The 
settled  plan  to  kill  made  His  absence  a  matter  of 
common  prudence.  This  makes  most  striking 
His  great  courage  in  going  up  to  Jerusalem  at 
the  autumn  Feast  of  Tabernacles.  He  quietly 
arrived  in  the  midst  of  much  rumour  and  hot  dis- 
cussion about  Himself,  and  begins  teaching  the 
crowds  openly,  to  the  great  amazement  of  many. 

At  once  begin  the  wordy  critical  attacks,  egged 
on  probably  by  the  warmth  with  which  many  re- 
ceive Jesus'  teachings.  There  are  three  attempts 
to  take  Him  by  force,  including  an  ofdcial  attempt 
at  arrest.  But,  strangely  enough,  the  very  officers 
sent  to  arrest  are  so  impressed  by  Jesus'  teaching 
that  they  return  with  their  mission  not  done,  to 
the  intensest  disgust  and  rage  of  their  superiors.'* 

Early  on  the  morning  following  there's  a  cun- 
ning coarse  attempt  to  entrap  Him  into  saying 
something  that  can  be  used  against  Him.  A 
woman  is  brought  accused  of  wrong-doing  of  the 
gravest  sort,  and  His  opinion  is  asked  as  to  the 
proper  punishment  for  so  serious  an  offense. 
There's  nothing  more  dramatic  in  Scripture  than 
the  withdrawal  of  these  accusers,  one  by  one,  ac- 
tually conscience-stricken  in  the  presence  of  the 
few  simple  words  of  this  wondrous  Man.* 

»  vi.  30-36,  41-42,  52,  60-66.  ^  vii.  throughout. 

»  viii.  1-11. 


The  Lover  Wooing  171 

This  is  followed  by  the  intensest  give-and-take 
of  discussion  thus  far,  in  which  they  give  vent  to 
their  bitterest  degree  of  vile  language  in  calling 
Him  "a  Samaritan,"  and  accusing  Him  of  be- 
ing possessed  with  "a  demon."  And  then  the 
terrible  climax  is  reached  in  the  enraged  pas- 
sionate attempt  of  stoning.  It  is  the  worst  yet 
to  which  their  fanatical  rage  has  gone.' 

Now  they  reach  out  to  intimidate  the  multi- 
tude, by  threatening  to  cut  off  from  religious  and 
civic  privileges  all  who  would  confess  belief  in 
Jesus  as  Christ.  And  their  spleen  vents  its  rage 
on  the  man  born  blind  but  now  so  woudrously 
given  sight  of  two  sorts. '^ 

The  winter  Feast  of  the  Dedication  a  few 
months  later  finds  Jesus  back  again  in  Jerusalem 
teaching.  And  again  their  enraged  attempt  at 
stoning,  the  second  one,  is  restrained  by  a  some- 
thing in  Him  they  can  neither  understand  nor 
withstand.* 

The  Lazarus  incident  arouses  their  opposition 
to  the  highest  pitch.*  This  is  recognized  as  a 
crisis.  Such  power  had  never  been  seen  or 
known.  The  inroads  of  belief  are  everywhere, 
in  the  upper  social  circles,  among  the  old  fam- 
ilies, even  in  the  Jewish  Senate  itself,  notwith- 
standing the  threatened  excommunication.  On 
every  hand  men  are  believing.  Things  are  get- 
ting desperate  for  these  leaders.  They  determine 
to  use  all  the  authority  at  hand  arbitrarily  and 
with  a  high  hand.     What  strange  blindness  of 

>  viii.  12-59.  ^  jx.  i_x.  21. 

'  X.  22-39.  *  xi.  47-37c 


172      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

stubborn  self-will  to  such  open  evidence  of 
power ! 

A  special  meeting  of  the  Jewish  Senate  is  held, 
not  unlikely  hastily  summoned  of  those  not  in- 
fected with  belief.  And  there  it  is  officially  de- 
termined to  put  Jesus  to  death,  and  serve  public 
notice  that  any  one  knowing  of  His  whereabouts 
must  report  their  information  to  the  authorities. 

And  as  the  incoming  crowds  thicken  for  the 
Passover,  and  the  talk  about  Lazarus  is  on  every 
tongue,  it  is  determined  to  put  Lazarus  to  death, 
too.  This  is  the  pitch  things  have  risen  to  as 
John  brings  this  part  of  his  story  to  a  close. 

The  Glory-Coloured  Thread. 

It  is  a  relief  to  turn  now  to  the  chief  figure  in 
this  tapestried  picture  of  John's  weaving.  Here 
are  glory-coloured  threads  of  bright  yellow.  They 
easily  stand  out,  thrown  in  relief  both  by  the 
pleasing  blues  and  the  disturbing  blacks.  It  is 
the  figure  of  the  Man  on  the  errand,  intent  on 
His  wooing,  absorbed  in  His  great  task.  This 
Man,  His  tremendous  wooing,  wins  glad  grateful 
ever-growing  acceptance.  And  with  rarest  bold- 
ness and  courage  He  persists  in  His  wooing  in 
spite  of  the  terrific  intensifying  opposition. 

The  gentle  softening  dew  persists  in  distilling 
even  on  the  hardest  stoniest  soil.  The  gentle 
wimomeness  of  the  wooing  stands  out  appealingly 
as  one  goes  through  those  fragments  of  teaching 
talks  running  throughout.  The  rare  faithfulness 
of  it  to  the  nation  and  its  leaders  is  thrown  into 


The  Lover  Wooing  173 

bold  relief  by  the  very  opposition  that  reveals 
their  dire  spiritual  plight  and  their  sore  need. 

The  power  of  it  is  simply  stupendous.  As 
gentle  in  action  as  the  falling  dew  it  grows  in  in- 
tensity until  neither  the  gates  of  death  nor  even 
the  stubborn  resistance  of  a  human  will  can  pre- 
vail against  it.  It  is  power  sufficient  to  satisfy 
the  most  critical  search,  and  to  make  acceptance 
not  only  possible  with  one's  reasoning  power  in 
fullest  exercise  but  the  rational  thing. 

Look  a  bit  at  the  power  at  work  here.  For  in 
looking  at  the  power  we  are  getting  a  better  look 
at  the  Man,  and  at  the  purpose  that  grips  Him. 
Of  the  nineteen  incidents  in  these  twelve  chapters 
fifteen  give  exhibitions  of  power.  It  is  of  two 
sorts,  power  over  the  human  will,  and  miraculous 
power. 

Eight  incidents  reveal  power  ivorJcing  upon  the 
human  will.  lu  tliree  of  these — Nicodemus,  the 
Samaritan  woman,  the  accused  sinful  woman — 
the  will  becomes  pliant  and  is  radically  changed, 
so  morally  affecting  the  whole  life.  In  five — the 
temple  cleansing,  at  the  Tabernacles  Feast,  the 
first  and  second  attempt  at  stoning,  and  the 
kingly  entry  into  the  city — the  human  will  is 
stubbornly  aggressively  antagonistic  to  Jesus,  but 
is  absolutely  restrained  from  what  it  is  fully  set 
upon  doing. 

In  the  other  seven  incidents  the  power  is 
mi/raculous  or  supernatural.  In  three — turning 
the  water  into  wine,  multiplying  food  supplies, 
walking  on  the  water — it  is  power  in  the  realm  of 
nature.     In  four — healing  the  Eoman  nobleman's 


174      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

son,  the  thirty-eight-year  infirmity,  giving  sight 
to  the  man  born  blind,  and  the  raising  of  Lazarns 
— it  is  power  in  the  realm  of  the  body,  radically 
changing  its  conditions. 

It  will  help  to  remember  what  those  words 
miraculous  and  supernatural  mean.  Miraculous 
means  something  wonderful,  that  is,  something 
filling  us  with  wonder  because  it  is  so  unusual. 
Supernatural  means  something  above  the  usual 
natural  order.  The  two  words  are  commonly 
taken  as  having  one  meaning.  Neither  word 
means  something  contrary  to  nature,  of  course, 
but  simply  on  a  higher  level  than  the  ordinary 
workings  of  nature  with  which  we  are  familiar. 
The  action  is  in  accord  with  some  higher  law  in 
God's  world  which  is  brought  into  glay  and  is  seen 
to  be  superior  to  the  familiar  laws. 

But  the  power,  or  the  man  that  can  call  this 
higher  law  into  action,  is  of  a  higher  order. 
There  is  revealed  an  intimacy  of  acquaintance 
with  these  higher  laws,  and  even  more  a  power 
that  can  command  and  call  them  into  action  down 
in  the  sphere  of  our  common  ordinary  life,  until 
we  stare  in  wonder.  This  is  really  the  remark- 
able thing.  Not  supernatural  action  itself  simply, 
tremendous  as  that  is,  but  the  man  in  such  touch 
with  higher  power  as  to  be  able  to  call  out  the 
action,  and  to  command  it  at  will. 

This  is  one  of  the  things  that  marks  Jesus  off 
so  strikingly  from  other  holy  men.  There  are 
miracles  in  the  Old  Testament  and  in  the  Book  of 
Acts.  But  there's  an  abundance  and  a  degree  of 
power  in  Jesus'  miracles  outclassing  all  others. 


The  Lover  Wooing  175 

It  is  fascinating  and  awesome  to  watch  the  growth 
of  power  in  these  movements  of  Jesus.  It  is  as 
though  He  woos  more  persistently  in  the  very 
degree  and  variety  of  power  that  He  uses  so 
freely,  and  with  such  apparent  ease. 

Which  calls  out  greater  power,  creating  or 
healing?  making  water  into  wine  or  healing 
bodily  ailment  ?  Which  is  the  greater,  power  in 
the  realm  of  nature  or  the  body  ?  or  in  the  realm 
of  the  human  will  ?  multiplying  food  or  changing 
a  human  will?  Which  is  greater,  to  induce  a 
man  voluntarily  to  change  hiscourse  of  action,  or 
to  restrain  him  (by  moral  power  only,  not  by 
force)  from  doing  something  he  is  dead-set  ou 
doing  ? 

This  is  the  range  through  which  Jesus'  action 
runs  in  these  fifteen  incidents.  Is  there  a  growth 
in  the  power  revealed  ?  Is  there  an  inteuser  plea 
to  these  men  as  the  story  goes  on  ?  Is  there  a 
steady  piling  up  of  evidence  in  the  wooing  of 
their  hearts  ? 

Well,  creating  is  bringing  into  material  being 
what  didn't  so  exist  before.  Healing  does  some- 
thing more.  It  creates  new  tissue,  makes  new  or 
different  adj  ustments  and  conditions,  and  it  over- 
comes the  opposite,  the  broken  tissue,  the  dis- 
eased conditions,  the  weakness,  the  tendency 
towards  decay  and  death.  Clearly  there's  a 
greater  task  in  healing,  and  a  greater  power  at 
work,  or  more  power,  or  power  revealed  more. 

Then,  too,  of  course,  the  human  is  above  the 
physical.  Man  is  higher  than  nature.  He  is  the 
lord  of  creation.     It  is  immensely  more  to  affect  a 


176      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

human  will  than  to  affect  conditions  in  nature. 
The  whole  thing  moves  up  to  a  measureless  higher 
level.  And  clearly  enough  it  is  a  less  difficult 
task  to  enlighten  and  persuade  one  who  seeks  the 
light,  and  to  woo  up  one  who  is  simply  carelessly 
indifferent,  than  it  is  to  overcome  and  restrain  a 
will  that  is  dead-set  against  you  and  is  bitterly  set 
on  an  opposite  course. 

Of  course,  all  of  this  is  not  commonly  so  rec- 
ognized. It  seems  immensely  more  to  heal  the 
body  than  to  change  a  man's  course  of  action,  or, 
at  least,  it  appeals  immensely  more  to  the  imag- 
ination. The  man  who  can  heal  is  magnified  in 
our  eyes  above  the  other.  The  miraculous  al- 
ways seems  the  greater.  It  is  more  unusual. 
Stronger  wills  are  influencing  others  daily. 
That's  a  commonplace.  Bodily  healing  is  rare. 
And  all  the  world  is  ill.  Things  are  ripe  to  have 
such  power  seize  upon  the  imagination  then  and 
always. 

And  then,  too,  there  are  interlacings  here  of 
things  we  see  and  things  we  don't  see.  There  is 
the  element  of  the  use  of  the  human  will  in  all 
miraculous  action,  whether  in  nature  or  among 
men.  Behind  both  nature's  forces  and  human 
forces  are  unseen  spirit  personalities,  both  evil 
and  good.  The  real  battle  of  our  human  life  lies 
there  in  the  spirit  realm.  Victory  there  means 
full  victory  in  the  realm  of  nature  and  of  human 
lives.  There  is  a  devil  with  hosts  of  spirit  at- 
tendants. The  wilderness  was  a  spirit-conflict 
of  terrific  intensity,  ending  in  Jesus'  unqualified 
victory. 


The  Lover  Wooing  177 

Jesus*  power  was  more  tlian  simply  creative, 
or  healing,  or  over  human  wills.  It  was  the 
power  of  a  pure  strong  surrendered  will  having 
the  mastery  over  a  giant  unsurrendered  God-de- 
fiant will.  This  underlies  all  else.  But  we've 
run  off  a  bit.  Come  back  to  the  simple  story, 
and  see  how  the  power  of  Jesus  is  revealed  more 
and  more  before  their  eyes.  And  in  seeing  the 
faithfulness  and  winsomeuess  of  His  power,  see 
His  wooing. 


Inienser  Wooing. 

A  look  at  the  miraculous  power  first.  The 
turning  of  the  water  into  wine  was  simple  crea- 
tive power  at  work,  creating  in  the  liquid  the 
added  constituents  that  made  it  wine.  The  heal- 
ing of  the  nobleman's  sou  rises  to  a  higher  level. 
The  power  overcomes  diseased  weakened  condi- 
tions and  creates  new  life  iu  the  parts  affected. 

The  healing  of  a  thirty-eight-year-old  infirmity 
rises  yet  higher  in  the  scale  of  power  seen  at 
work.  The  Eoman's  child  was  an  acute  case  ;  this 
an  extreme  chronic  case  of  long  standing.  The 
acute  case  of  illness  may  be  most  difiScult  and 
ticklish,  demanding  a  quick  masterful  use  of 
all  the  physician's  knowledge  and  skill.  The 
chronic  case  is  yet  more  difficult  eluding  his  best 
studied  and  prolonged  and  repeated  effort. 
Clearly  the  power  at  work  is  accomplishing 
more ;  and  so  it  is  pleading  more  eloquently. 

The  feeding  of  the  five  thousand  is  creative 
power  simply,  like  the  water-wine  case,  but  it 


178      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

moves  up  higher  in  the  greater  abundance  of 
power  shown,  the  increase  of  quantity  created, 
and  the  far  greater  and  intenser  human  need  met 
and  relieved. 

The  walking  on  the  water  was  an  overcoming 
one  of  nature's  laws,  a  rising  up  superior  to  it. 
The  universal  law  of  gravitation  would  naturally 
have  drawn  His  feet  through  the  surface  of  the 
water  and  His  whole  body  down.  He  overcomes 
this  law,  retaining  His  footing  on  the  water  as 
on  laud. 

It  was  done  in  the  night,  but  an  Oriental  com- 
munity, like  any  country  community,  anywhere, 
is  a  bulletin- board  for  all  that  happens.  No  de- 
tail is  omitted,  and  no  one  misses  the  news. 
And  this  like  all  these  other  incidents  become 
the  common  property  of  the  nation. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  in  the  language  John 
uses '  that  the  motive  underneath  the  action  was 
not  to  reveal  power  but  simply  to  keep  an  ap- 
pointment. But  then  Jesus  never  used  His 
power  to  show  that  He  had  power,  but  only  to 
meet  the  need  of  the  hour.  Yet  each  exhibi- 
tion of  power  revealed  indirectly,  incidentally 
icho  He  ivas. 

There  is  an  instance  similar  to  this  in  the  bor- 
rowed axe-head  that  swam  in  obedience  to 
Elisha's  touch  of  power  to  meet  the  need  of  the 
distressed  theological  student.*    In  each  instance 

*  "  Jesus  had  not  yet  come,"  intimating  that  they  were  ex- 
pecting Him  in  accordance  with  an  understanding  between 
Him  and  them.    vi.  17. 

=•2  Kings  vi.  1-7. 


The  Lover  Wooing  179 

it  is  the  same  habit  of  nature  that  yields  homage 
to  a  higher  power  at  work. 

But  though  there  is  here  do  increase  of  power 
shown  yet  the  action  itself  was  of  the  sort  to  ap- 
peal much  more  to  the  crowd.  It  has  in  it  the 
dramatic.  It  would  appear  to  the  crowd  a  yet 
more  wonderful  thing  than  they  had  yet  witnessed. 

The  giving  of  sight  to  the  man  born  blind  is 
distinctly  a  long  step  ahead  of  any  healing  power 
thus  far  related  in  John's  story.  There  is  here 
not  only  the  chronic  element,  but  the  thing  is  dis- 
tinctly in  a  class  by  itself,  quite  outclassing  in 
the  difficulty  presented  any  case  of  mere  chronic 
infirmity. 

It  was  not  a  matter  of  restoring  what  disease 
had  destroyed  but  of  supplying  what  nature  had 
failed  to  give  in  its  usual  course.  It  was  a  meet- 
ing of  nature's  lack  through  some  slip  in  the  ad- 
justment of  her  action  in  connection  with  human 
action.  There  is  not  only  the  appealing  dramatic 
element,  as  in  the  walking  on  the  water,  but  the 
appealing  sympathetic  element  in  that  this  poor 
man's  lifelong  burden  is  removed. 

And  then  the  seventh  and  last  of  these,  the 
actual  raising  of  Lazarus  up  from  the  dead,  is  a 
climax  of  power  in  action  nothing  short  of  stu- 
pendous. Of  the  six  recorded  cases  of  the  dead 
being  raised  this  is  easily  the  greatest  in  the 
power  seen  at  work.  In  the  other  five,  in  the 
Elijah  record,'  the  Elisha,"  the  Moabite's  body 
at  Elisha's  grave,'  Jairus'   daughter,*  and  the 

»  1  Kings  XTii.  17-24.  « 2  Kings  iv.  32-37. 

'  2  Kings  xiii.  20-21.  ♦  Luke  viii.  40-42,  49-56. 


l8o      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

widow's  son  at  Nain,'  there  was  no  lapse  of  time 
involved. 

Here  four  days  of  death  had  intervened,  until 
it  was  quite  certain  beyond  question  that  in  that 
climate  decomposition  would  be  well  advanced. 
Utter  human  impotence  and  impossibility  was  in 
its  last  degree.  Man  stands  utterly  powerless, 
utterly  helpless  in  the  presence  of  death.  It  is 
not  the  last  degree  of  improbability.  There  is 
uO  improbability.  It's  an  impossihility.  The 
thing  is  in  a  class  by  itself,  the  hopeless  class. 
And  the  four  days  give  death  its  fullest  oppor- 
tunity. And  death  never  fails  in  grim  faithful- 
ness to  opportunity. 

It  is  no  wonder  that  all  Jerusalem  was  so 
stirred.  The  common  crowds  of  home  people 
and  pilgrims,  the  aristocratic  families,  the  inner 
ofl&cial  circles,  among  all  classes,  this  tremendous 
event  won  recognition  of  Jesus'  power  and  claim, 
and  with  recognition  personal  faith.  Kothing 
like  this  had  ever  happened.  This  is  the  super- 
lative degree  of  miraculous  power  revealed  in 
this  matchless  wooing  of  a  faithless  nation. 

Love  Wooing  Yet  More. 

Now  a  look  at  the  power  at  work  in  the  realm  of 
the  human  icill,  really  a  higher  power,  or  power  at 
work  in  a  higher  realm,  though  not  commonly  so 
recognized  by  the  crowd.  There  are  eight  inci- 
dents here.  And  again  we  shall  find  the  steady 
rise  of  the  power  seen  at  work.  Three  of  these 
tell  of  the  human  will  changed,  and  four  of  its 
» Luke  vii.  11-17. 


The  Lover  Wooing  i8i 

beiug  restrained  against  its  will  from  doing  that 
which  it  was  dead-set  on  doing. 

The  ruler  who  withdrew  from  the  midst  of  the 
disturbed  temple  managers  for  a  night- call  upon 
Jesus  was  radically  changed  in  his  convictions  and 
his  life-purpose.  He  had  an  open  mind.  The 
work  was  begun  at  that  first  Jerusalem  Passover. 
Under  the  holy  spell  of  John's  presence  he  is 
drawn  away  from  his  enraged  brother-rulers  to 
seek  the  night  talk.  The  frankness  and  fullness 
of  Jesus'  talk  shows  plainly  how  open  he  was 
and  how  much  more  he  opened  and  yielded  that 
evening.  And  the  after  protest  in  the  official 
meeting  of  the  rulers,  and  the  loving  care  for  the 
body  of  Jesus  reveal  how  radical  was  the  trans- 
formation wrought  upon  his  will  and  heart  by 
Jesus.' 

The  Samaritan  woman  is  changed  from  utter 
indifference  to  a  change  of  will  and  purpose  that 
makes  her  an  eager  messenger  to  her  people  until 
they  hail  Jesus  as  the  Saviour  of  the  world.  The 
change  involved  a  radical  face  about  in  habit  and 
life  amongst  the  very  people  who  knew  her  past 
sinful  life  best.  It  meant  more  than  change  of 
conviction,  that  change  actually  put  into  practice 
across  the  grain  of  the  habits  of  years,  and  of  the 
lower  passions,  so  hard  to  change.  It  is  a  dis- 
tinct step  up  from  the  change  in  Mcodemus 
simply  because  there  was  so  much  more  to  change. 
The  same  power  had  more  to  do.     And  it  did  it.^ 

The  story  of  the  woman  accused  of  the  gravest 
ofifense  is  a  double  one  in  the  power  seen  at  work. 

'  iii.  1-21.  «iT.  7-42. 


l82      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

She  would  naturally  be  hardened,  and  stony  hard, 
shameless  to  the  point  of  hopeless  indifference  in 
moral  sense,  and  all  this  increased  by  their  coarse 
publicity  of  her.  And  so  little  is  said,  but  so 
much  suggested  of  a  change  in  her. 

The  purity  of  Jesus'  face  and  presence  would 
be  a  tremendous  power  of  conviction.  The  gentle- 
ness of  His  quiet  question  would  couple  soiften- 
ing  of  heart  with  conviction  of  her  sin.  The 
word  of  counsel  as  she  is  dismissed  would  seem  a 
mirror  reflecting  the  inner  longing  of  her  heart 
and  the  new  purpose  stirring  within,  as  memory 
recalls  early  days  of  virgin  purity,  and  a  wild 
hope  within  struggles  towards  life  that  there  may 
yet  be  a  change  even  for  her. 

The  change  in  her  accusers  is,  at  least,  as  re- 
markable though  wholly  different.  Morally 
hardened,  as  shameless  and  coarse  as  the  woman 
as  regards  a  fine  moral  sensibility  ;  by  their  own 
tacit  confession  no  better  in  practice  than  she  in 
the  point  of  morals  raised  ;  in  their  malignant 
cunning  only  concerned  with  the  woman's  sin  as 
a  means  of  venting  their  spleen  upon  the  man 
they  hated  and  feared, — what  a  hideous  spirit- 
photograph  ! 

Under  the  strange  compelling  power  of  Jesus' 
word  and  will,  utterly  conscience-stricken  at  be- 
ing as  guilty  as  she  in  the  particular  item  under 
discussion,  they  turn,  one  by  one,  and  slink 
softly  out,  until  the  last  one  is  gone.  As  an  in- 
stance of  one  Vkiil  controlling  and  changing  an- 
other will  wholly  against  its  will  to  the  point  of 
forcing  out  confession  of  personal  guilt,  it  is  most 


The  Lover  Wooing  183 

remarkable.  One  wonders  if,  under  that  tre- 
mendous conviction  of  personal  sin,  some  of  these 
were  later  included  in  those  of  the  Sanhedrin  who 
openly  accepted  Jesus.  It  is  quite  possible.  It 
is  not  improbable.* 

The  fact  is  noted  that  the  very  language  used 
here  under  the  English  indicates  a  different  au- 
thorship of  the  incident  than  John's.  Possibly  a 
thoughtful  delicacy  of  regard  for  the  woman  re- 
strains John's  pen  if  she  were  still  living  as  he 
writes.  And  then  later  the  Holy  Spirit,  who  so 
tactfully  restrains  John's  pen,  guides  another  to 
fit  the  remarkable  story  in  its  place  in  the  record. 

The  drastic  turning  of  bargaining  cattle-dealers 
and  bickering  money-brokers,  out  of  the  temple- 
area,  and  restoring  it  from  a  barnyard  to  a  place 
of  holy  worship,  is  a  most  remarkable  illustration 
of  restraint  upon  antagonistic  wills  at  the  jDoint 
of  their  greatest  concern.  These  leaders  would 
gladly  have  turned  Him  out. 

And  who  was  He,  this  man  with  flashing  eye 
and  quiet  stern  word  ?  A  stranger,  unknown, 
from  the  despised  country  district  of  Galilee. 
And  they  have  authority,  law-of&cers,  everything 
of  the  sort  on  their  side.  Yet  the  restraint  of  His 
prese;  ce  and  will  over  them  is  as  absolute  as 
though  they  were  in  chains.  They  weakly  ask  for 
a  sign  and  evidence  of  power.  They  themselves 
experienced  the  most  tremendous  exhibition  of 
power  the  old  temple-area  had  known  for  gener- 
ations.^ 

The  power  of  restraint  at  the  Feast  of  Taber- 

»  Tiii.  1-11.  « ii.  13-21, 


184      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

nacles  is  yet  greater.  Or  it  might  be  more  ac- 
curate to  say  that  it  is  a  greater  antagonism  that 
is  restrained  by  the  same  power.  They  are  fully 
prepared  now.  The  cleansing  incident  took  them 
unawares.  It  made  them  gasp  to  think  that  any 
one  would  dare  oppose  them  like  that. 

Now  they  are  on  guard.  Then,  too,  their,  an- 
tagonism has  intensified  and  embittered  to  the 
point  of  plotting  His  death.  And  they  have 
grown  more  openly  aggressive.  There  are  three 
attempts  at  His  arrest.  Yet  that  strange  noiseless 
power  of  restraint  is  upon  them.  They  do  not 
do  as  they  would.  Clearly  they  cannot.  They 
are  restrained.  The  man  whose  presence  so 
aroused,  also  held  them  in  check,  apparently 
without  thinking  about  it.  H.is presence  is  a  re- 
straint.' 

Then  a  second  clash  of  wills  comes  a  day  or  so 
later.  Their  opposition  is  yet  inteuser.  There 
has  been  no  cooliug-off  interval.  His  continued 
open  teaching  in  face  of  their  attempts  at  arrest 
puts  fresh  kindling  on  the  fire.  "No  man  took 
Him,"  but  clearly  they  wanted  to.  Their  open 
relations  become  more  strained.  He  uses  yet 
plainer  speech  in  exposing  their  hypocrisies. 
This  stirs  them  still  more.  Their  hooked  fingers 
reach  passionately  for  the  stones  that  would  make 
a  finish  at  once,  and  the  green  light  flashes  out 
of  their  enraged  eyes.  It's  the  sharpest  clash 
yet.     They  are  at  a  high  fever  point. 

It  seems  to  take  a  greater  use  of  power  to 
restrain.  "He  hid  Himself"  is  the  simple 
*vii.  tbronghout. 


The  Lover  Wooing  185 

sentence  used.  This  is  one  of  four  times  that 
we  are  told  of  His  overcoming  the  hostile  attack 
of  a  crowd  by  simply  passing  through  their  midst 
and  going  on  His  way.'  Perhaps  something  in 
the  glance  of  that  eye  of  His,  or  in  the  set  of  His 
face,^  something  in  Him  restrained  them  as  He 
quietly  passes  through  the  uproarious  crowd  and 
goes  on  His  way  undisturbed.  They  are  held 
back  against  their  wills  from  doing  the  thing 
they  are  so  intent  on  doing.^ 

A  few  months  later  He  is  back  in  Jerusalem. 
But  the  interval  seems  not  to  have  cooled  their 
passion,  only  to  have  heated  and  hardened  their 
enmity.  They  at  once  begin  an  aggressive 
wordy  attack.  Then  losing  self-control  in  their 
rage  they  again  reach  down  for  the  stones  to  kill 
Him  at  once.  And  again  they  are  restrained 
from  their  passionate  purpose,  as  Jesus  quietly 
goes  on  talking  with  them.  Again  they  attempt 
to  seize  His  person.  And  the  simple  striking 
sentence  used,  ''  He  went  forth  out  of  their  hand," 
points  to  the  extent  of  their  purpose  and  to  a  yet 
greater  use  of  His  power  of  restraint  over  their 
unwilling  wills.* 

The  last  incident  of  this  sort  is  the  kingly 
entry  into  the  city  amid  the  enthusiasm  of  the 
pilgrim  and  city  crowds.  It  says  not  a  word 
about  any  attempt  on  their  part  nor  of  His 
restraint  over  them.  But  the  very  boldness  of 
this  wholly  unexpected  move  on  His  part  con- 

i  Luke  iv,  30;  John  viii.  59;     .39;  xii,  36. 

*  Mark  x.  32 ;  Luke  ix.  53. 

8  viii.  12-59.  <  x.  22-39. 


l86      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

stituted  a  tremendous  restraint.  Their  hate  had 
gone  through  several  stages  of  refined  hardening 
during  the  few  months  preceding.  The  formal 
decision  to  kill,  the  edict  of  excommunication, 
the  public  notice  that  any  information  of  His 
whereabouts  must  be  made  known,  and  the  de- 
cision to  kill  Lazarus  also, — all  indicate  the 
hotter  burning  of  the  flames  of  their  rage. 

Yet  into  just  such  a  situation  He  quietly  turns 
the  head  of  His  untamed  unridden  young  colt  of 
an  ass  and  rides  through  the  city  surrounded  by 
the  crowds  under  the  very  eyes  of  these  leaders 
and  their  hireling  legal  minions.  The  tenseness 
of  the  whole  scene,  the  power  of  restraint  so  put 
forth,  the  volcano  smouldering  underfoot  wait- 
ing the  slightest  extra  jar  to  loose  out  its  explo- 
sion, all  are  revealed  in  the  little  sentence  so 
pregnant  in  its  concealed  dynamic  meaning, 
Jesus  ^^Md  Himself  from  ihem.^^  There's  an 
exquisite  blending  of  restraint  over  them  and 
boldness  with  cautious  prudence.  He  was  walk- 
ing very  close  to  the  edge  that  time.^ 

So  His  power,  shown  so  quietly  but  irresistibly 
before  the  eyes  of  all  during  those  brief  years, 
rises  to  a  double  climax  nothing  short  of  stu- 
pendous. Miraculous  power  in  the  realm  of 
nature  and  of  the  human  body  had  reached  its 
climax  in  the  raising  of  Lazarus,  attested  beyond 
question.  Power  over  the  human  will  both  in 
affecting  a  voluntary  change,  and  in  actually 
restraining  its  action  against  its  own  set  purpose, 
had  risen  to  its  climax  in  the  bold  open  entry  in 

» xii.  12-19,  36. 


The  Lover  Wooing  187 

broadest  daylight  into  the  capital  where  His 
death  was  officially  and  publicly  decreed.  The 
two  climaxes  touch.  Aud  it  is  tremendously 
significant  that  whereas  they  sometimes  question 
His  miraculous  power,  they  could  not  deny  His 
restraining  power  over  themselves.  How  gladly 
they  would  if  only  they  could. 

And  all  this,  mark  you  keenly,  is  a  bit  of  His 
wooing.  The  wooing  is  ever  the  dominant 
thought  in  His  heart.  So  He  was  revealing  to 
them  who  He  was.  He  claims  to  be  the  Son  of 
God,  their  kingly  Messiah.  And  He  lived  His 
claim.  Power  is  the  one  universally  recognized 
touchstone  by  which  we  judge  God  and  man. 
His  power  told  loho  He  ivas  even  more  than  His 
tremendous  words  did.  He  was  acting  naturally. 
His  presence  among  them  thus  natural,  true  to 
the  power  native  in  Him, — this  was  the  wooing. 

But  there  was  more  than  power.  There  was 
love.  There  was  a  perfect  blend  of  the  two. 
With  the  power  went  the  love.  Nay,  rather, 
with  the  love  went  the  power.  Love  was  the 
dominating  thing.  Jesus  was  love  in  shoes, 
God  in  action.  Always  there  was  the  tenderness, 
the  gentleness,  the  patience,  the  purity,  the  un- 
flinching ideals,  yes,  the  courage,  the  utter  fear- 
lessness tempered  with  a  wise  prudence.  All 
these  are  the  fuller  spelling  of  love. 

Always  these  went  in  closest  touch  with  the 
resisted  but  resistless  power.  These  are  the  two 
traits  of  God,  two  traits  that  are  one.  Men  al- 
ways think  most  of  the  power.  God  Himself 
always    emphasizes    most  the  love.      But  true 


l88      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

power  is  simply  love  in  action.  The  power  is 
the  outcome  of  love,  and  under  the  control  of 
love. 

This  is  the  second  of  John's  great  impelling 
pictures.  The  first  shows  us  the  Person,  the  Man 
Jesus,  God  with  us,  God  makiug  a  world,  and 
theu,  in  homely  humau  garb  walkiug  amougst  its 
people,  one  of  themselves. 

This  second  shows  us  the  wooing.  This  Man, 
so  tender  in  touch,  so  gentle  in  speech,  so 
thoughtful  in  action,  so  pure  in  life,  so  unbend- 
ing in  ideals,  so  fearless  in  the  thick  of  opposi- 
tion, so  faithful  to  the  chosen  faithless  nation, — 
this  Man  Himself  is  the  wooing.  His  words, 
His  actions,  His  power.  His  persistence.  His 
patience,  this  also  is  the  wooing  of  this  great 
God-Man-Lover.  This  is  God  spelling  Himself 
out  into  human  speech,  wooing  men  out  and  up 
and  in  to  Himself. 

Jesus  Recogm'ied  by  all  the  Race. 


And  it  is  most  striking  to  sit  still  and  think 
into  how  this  Lover  was  recognized  by  men  of  all 
nations,  and  how  His  wooing  was  understood  and 
yielded  to  by  men  of  all  sorts.  The  intense  Jew, 
the  half-breed  Samaritan,  the  aggressive  Eomau, 
the  cultured  refinetl  Greek, — that  was  all  the  loorld. 
And  all  these  recognized  Him  as  some  one  kin  to 
themselves,  bound  by  closest  spirit-ties,  to  whom 
they  were  drawn  by  the  strong  cords  of  His  com- 
mon kinship  with  (hemselves.  The  waves  of  His 
personal  influence  were,  geographically,  like  His 


The  Lover  Wooing  189 

last  commandment  to  His  disciples.  The  move- 
ment was  from  Jerusalem  to  Judea,  through 
Samaria,  and  out  into  the  uttermost  part  of  the 
earth  and  the  innermost  heart  of  the  race. 

And  all  sorts  of  men  understood.  Jesus  wiped 
out  social  differences  and  distinctions  in  the 
crowds  that  gently  jostled  each  other  in  His 
presence.  The  aristocrat  and  the  cultured,  the 
student  and  the  gentle  folk,  mingled  freely  with 
simple  country  folk^  the  unlettered,  the  humblest 
and  lowliest,  all  drawn  alike  to  Him,  and  all  un- 
conscious of  differences  when  under  the  holy  spell 
of  His  presence.  The  wealthy  like  Joseph  of 
Arimathea,  and  the  beggar  like  the  man  born 
blind,  the  pure  in  heart  like  Mary  of  Bethany 
and  the  openly  bad  in  life  like  the  accused  woman 
of  Jerusalem,— all  felt  alike  that  this  Jesus  be- 
longed to  them,  and  they  to  Him. 

The  underneath  tie  of  real  kinship  of  heart 
rubbed  out  all  outer  distinctions.  The  old 
families  of  Jerusalem  were  glad  to  unlock  their 
jealously  guarded  doors  to  Him.  And  the  simple 
Capernaum  fisherfolk  were  grateful  when  He 
shared  bread  and  roof  with  them.  All  men 
recognized  Jesus  as  belonging  to  themselves. 

And  the  calendar  has  not  changed  this,  neither 
Gregorian  nor  Old  Style.  Time  finds  the  race 
the  same  always.  Centuries  climb  slowly  by,  but 
the  human  heart  is  the  same,  and — so  is  Jesus.  I 
was  greatly  struck  with  this  in  my  errand  among 
the  nations.  The  East  balks  at  the  ways  of  the 
West  sometimes.  Many  books  say  there  is  no 
point  of  contact    between  the  two.    The  East 


190      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

balks  at  our  Western  organization,  our  rule  of 
the  clock,  and  our  rush  and  hurry.  Our  West- 
ernized church  systems  and  our  closely  mortised 
logical  theologies  are  sometimes  a  bit  bewilder- 
ing, not  exactly  comprehensible  to  their  Oriental- 
ized mode  of  thought. 

But  they  never  balk  at  Jesus.  When  they  are 
told  of  Him,  and  get  some  glimpse  of  Him,  their 
eyes  light,  their  faces  glow,  their  hearts  leap  in 
response.  You  book  people  say  there  is  no  point 
of  contact  betweent  Orient  and  Occident  ?  But 
there  is.  Jesus  is  the  point  of  contact.  One 
real  touch  of  Jesus  makes  all  the  world  akin. 
No  ;  that  can  be  put  better.  One  touch  of  Jesus 
reveals  the  kinship  that  is  there  between  Him 
and  men,  and  between  all  men. 

In  Japan  it  was  the  Portuguese  that  first  took 
the  Gospel  a  few  hundred  years  ago.  And  you 
still  find  Japanese  churches  founded  by  the 
Portuguese.  Fifty  odd  years  ago  it  was  the 
English  tongue  that  again  brought  that  message 
of  life  to  them.  But  as  I  mingled  amoug  Japanese 
Christians  of  different  communions  and  heard 
them  pray,  they  were  not  praying  in  Portuguese 
nor  in  English.  They  had  no  thought  that  He 
was  a  Portuguese  Saviour  they  prayed  to,  nor 
yet  an  English.  They  prayed  in  Japanese.  They 
felt  that  Jesus  spoke  their  tongue.  He  belonged 
to  them.     He  and  they  understood  each  other. 

As  I  listened  to  Manchu  and  Chinese,  to  Korean 
and  Hawaiian  pour  out  their  hearts  in  prayer,  I 
could  feel  the  close  personal  burning  touch  of 
their  spirits  with  Jesus.     They  and  He  were  kin 


The  Lover  Wooing  191 

to  each  other.    Their  very  voices  told  the  cer- 
tainty in  their  hearts  on  this  point. 

I  recall  a  little  old  bent-over  woman  of  seventy- 
odd  years  up  in  northern  Sweden,  a  Laplander. 
She  had  come  a  long  three  days'  journey  on  her 
snow-shoes  to  the  meetings.  Night  after  night  as 
I  talked  through  interpretation  her  deep-set  black 
eyes  glowed  and  glowed.  But  when  one  night  an 
hour  or  more  was  spent  in  voluntary  prayer  she 
needed  no  interpreter.  And  as  I  listened  I  needed 
none.  I  felt  that  she  Ineio  that  Jesus  sjioke  Lap- 
pish.    The  two  were  face-to-face  in  closest  touch 

of  spirit.  . 

And  so  it  is  everywhere.     The  flaxen-haired 
Holland  maid  kneeling  by  her  single  cot  knows 
that  Jesus  talks  Dutch,  and  her  homely  hearth- 
fire  Dutch,  too,  at  that.     And  the  earnest  Polish 
peasant  in  his  Carpathian  cabin  bowed  before  the 
symbol  his  eyes  have  known  from  infancy  is  talk- 
ing into  an  ear  that  knows  both  Polish  accent 
and  Polish  heart.     So  with  the  German  of  the 
Saxon  highlands,  and  of  the  simpler  speech  of 
the  Teutonic  lowlands.    So  with  the  olive-skinned 
Latin  and  the  darker-hued  African  kneeling  on 
opposite    sides,  north    and  south,  of  the  great 
Central-earth  Sea.    Wherever  knowledge  of  Jesus 
has  been  carried,  He  is  recognized  and  claimed  <u 
their  own  regardless  of  national  or  social  lines. 
I  knew  a  minister  of  our  Southland,  but  whose 
public  service  took  him  to  all  parts  of  our  country. 
He  had  been  reared  iu  the  South  and  knew  the 
coloured  people  by  heart,  and  loved  them.     And 
when  he  returned  to  his  Southern  home  town  he 


192      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

would  frequently  preach  for  the  coloured  people. 
He  was  preaching  to  them  one  Sabbath  with  the 
simplicity  and  fervour  for  which  he  was  noted. 

At  the  close  among  others,  one  big  black  man 
grasped  his  hand  hard  as  he  thanked  him  for  the 
preaching.  And  then  with  his  great  child-eyes 
big  and  aglow,  he  said,  "  Youse  got  a  white  skin, 
but  youse  got  a  black  heart."  And  you  know 
what  he  meant, — you  have  a  black  man's  heart, 
you  have  a  heart  like  mine.  Your  heart  makes 
my  heart  burn. 

Now  Jesus  had  a  black  heart.  He  had  a  white 
heart.  He  had  a  yellow,  a  brown  heart.  He 
had  a  Jew  heart,  a  Eoman,  a  Greek,  a  Samaritan 
heart.  Aye,  He  had  a  world  heart.  He  had  a 
human  heart.  And  He  has.  There's  a  Man  on 
the  throne  yonder,  bone  of  our  bone,  heart  of  our 
heart,  pain  of  our  pain. 

There's  more  of  God  since  Jesus  went  back. 
Human  experience  has  been  taken  up  into  the 
heart  of  God.  Jesus  belonged  to  us.  And  now 
belongs  to  us  more  than  ever,  and  we  to  Him. 
The  human  heart  has  felt  His  tremendous  wooing. 
It  has  recognized  its  Kinsman  wherever  He  has 
been  able  to  get  to  them,  and  it  has  gladly  yielded 
to  the  plea  of  His  love. 

Jerusalem  might  carpenter  a  cross  for  Him,  but 
the  world  would  weave  its  heartfelt  devotion  into 
a  crown  of  love  for  Him,  bestudded  with  the 
dewy  tears  of  its  gratitude,  sparkling  like  dia- 
monds in  the  light  of  His  face. 


IV 


CLOSER  WOOING 

4n  Evening  with  Opening  Hearts  :  the  Story 
of  a  Supper  and  a  Walk  hi  the  Moonlight 
and  the  Shadows 


Nigh  and  nigh  draws  the  chase, 
With  unperturbed  pace, 
Deliberate  speed,  majestic  instancy, 
And  past  those  noised  Feet 
A  Voice  comes  yet  more  fleet  — 
*•  Lot  naught  contents  thee,  who  contenVst  not  Me" 

— "  The  Hound  of  Heaven.** 

"  I  came  forth  from  the  Father,  and  am  come  into 
the  world :  again,  I  leave  the  world,  and  go  unto  the 
Father." — John  xvi.  28. 

"  I  thought  His  love  would  weaken 
As  more  and  more  He  knew  me  ; 

But  it  burnelh  like  a  beacon. 
And  its  light  and  heat  go  through  me ; 

And  I  ever  hear  Him  say, 
As  He  goes  along  His  way, 

Wand'ring  souls,  O  do  come  near  Me ; 

My  sheep  should  never  fear  Me. 

I  am  the  Shepherd  true.'* 

— Frederick  William  faber. 


IV 
CLOSER  WOOING 

(Chapters  xiii.-xvii.) 

Knots. 

The  knot  tied  on  the  end  of  the  thread  holds 
the  seam.  The  clinching  of  the  nail  on  the 
underside  holds  all  that  has  been  done.  Love 
ties  knots  to  hold  what  has  been  gotten.  The  bit 
of  prayer  knots  up  the  kindly  act.  The  warm 
hand-grasp  knots  the  timely  word.  The  added 
word  and  act  tie  up  all  that's  gone  before.  Hate 
imitates  love  the  best  it  can.  But  its  intense 
fires  are  never  so  hot. 

The  rest  of  John's  book  is  simple.  It  is  tying 
knots  on  the  ends  of  threads.  Five  knots  are  tied 
on  the  euds  of  these  same  three  threads  we  have 
been  tracing. 

There's  a  triple  knot  on  the  end  of  the  blue 
thread  of  acceptance;  an  ugly  tangled  knotty 
knot  on  the  end  of  that  black  thread  of  opposi- 
tion and  rejection  ;  and  a  knot  of  wondrous  beauty 
on  the  end  of  that  yellow  thread  of  winsome  woo- 
ing. Chapters  eighteen  and  nineteen  tie  two  of 
these,  the  black  and  the  glory-coloured. 

Chapters  thirteen  through  seventeen,    is  the 

first  knot  on  the  faith  thread,  the  betrayal-night 

knot.     Chapter  twenty  is  the  second,  the  Eesur- 

rection  knot ;  chapter  twenty-one  the  extra  knot, 

195 


196      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

the  love-service  knot.  We  take  a  look  now  at 
the  patient  skilful  tying  of  the  first  knot  on  the 
end  of  that  true-blue  faith  thread. 

It's  taken  a  good  bit  of  careful  work  to  get  that 
thread,  tearing  loose,  cleansing,  spinning,  twist- 
ing, careful  handling,  till  at  last  a  good  thread  is 
gotten,  and  is  being  woven  into  the  warp.  Now 
a  knot  is  tied  on  its  end  to  hold  what  has  been 
gotten,  and  keep  it  from  ravelling  out,  for  there's 
a  desperately  hard  place  coming  in  the  weaving. 

There's  a  clean  finish  at  the  end  of  the  twelfth 
chapter  of  John.  There's  a  sharp  break,  an 
abrupt  turn  off  to  something  quite  different. 
The  direct- wooing  case  is  made  up.  There  is  no 
more  added  to  it,  except  the  indirect,  the 
incidental.  The  evidence  is  all  in.  Wondrous 
wooing  it  has  been,  in  its  winsomeness,  its  faith- 
fulness, its  rare  power.  Now  it  is  over.  It's 
done,  and  well  done.  That  door  is  shut,  the 
national  door. 

Now  another  door  opens.  The  inner  door  into 
Jesus'  heart  is  being  opened  by  Him,  And  the 
inner  door  into  the  disciples'  heart  is  being 
knocked  at  that  it,  too,  may  open.  It  is  the  be- 
trayal night.  Jesus  is  alone  with  the  inner  circle. 
They  have  received  Him.  Now  He  will  receive 
them  into  closer  intimacy  than  yet  before.  They 
have  opened  their  hearts  to  His  love.  Now  He 
opens  His  heart  to  let  out  more  the  love  that  is 
there.  Love  accepted  is  free  to  reveal  itself. 
And  love  revealing  its  warmth  and  tenderness 
and  depth  yet  more  calls  out  quickly  a  deeper,  a 
tenderer  love. 


Closer  Wooing  197 

It's  the  Passover  evening.  They  have  met,  the 
twelve  and  their  Master,  by  appointment,  in  the 
home  of  one  of  Jesus'  faithful  unnamed  friends. 
In  a  large  upper  room  they  are  shut  in,  gathered 
about  the  supper  board.  As  they  eat  Jesus  is 
quietly  but  intently  thinking.  Four  trains  of 
thought  pass  through  His  mind  side  by  side.^ 
The  Father  had  trusted  all  into  .His  hands.  He 
had  come  down  from  the  Father  on  an  errand  and 
would  return  when  the  errand  was  done. 

And  now  the  hour  was  come.  The  turn  in  the 
road  was  reached,  the  sharp  turn  down  leading 
to  the  sharp  turn  up  and  then  back.  It  had 
seemed  slow  in  coming,  that  hour.^  Dreaded 
things  seem  to  linger  even  while  they  hasten, 
dreaded  longed-for  things,  dreaded  in  the  experi- 
ence of  pain  to  be  borne,  eagerly  longed  for  in  the 
blessed  result ;  as  with  an  expectant  mother. 
Now  the  hour's  here.^ 

And  yonder  across  the  board  sits  the  man  so 
faithfully  wooed,  yet  dead-set  in  his  inner  heart 
on  a  dark  purpose,  more  evil  in  its  outcome  than 
he  realizes.  There  must  be  more  and  tenderer 
wooing.  He  shall  have  yet  another  full  oppor- 
tunity. And  under  all  is  the  heart-throb  of  love 
for  these  who  are  His  own,  being  birthed  into  a 
new  life  by  the  giving  of  His  very  own  life  these 
months  past.  He  loves  His  own,  and  will  to  the 
uttermost,  the  utterest,  the  mostest,  limit  of  love 
and  of  time  left  Him  before  the  great  event. 
These  are  the  thoughts  passing  quietly,  clearly, 

*  xiii.  1-3.  "  ii.  4 ;  vii.  6,  8,  30  ;  viii.  20. 

»  xu.  23,  27  ;  xiii.  1,  31-32  ;  xvii.  1. 


198      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

intensely,   through  Jesus'   mind  as  they  sit  at 
supper. 


Teaching  Three  Things  in  One  Action. 

Now  He  acts.^  Quietly  He  rises  from  the 
table,  picks  up  a  towel  and  fastens  its  end  in  His 
waistband  for  convenience  in  use,  after  the  serv- 
ant's usual  fashion.  Then  He  pours  water  into  a 
basin  and  turning  stoops  over  the  feet  of  the 
disciple  nearest  Him.  And  before  they  can  re- 
cover from  their  wide-eyed  astonishment  He  be- 
gins bathing  his  feet  and  then  carefully  wiping 
them  with  the  convenient  towel.  And  so  around 
the  circle.  Peter,  of  course,  protests,  and  so 
calls  out  a  little  of  the  explanation.  And  then 
with  tender  passionateness  he  asks  for  the  wash- 
ing to  take  in  all  his  extremities,  head  and  hands 
as  well  as  feet.  How  their  hearts  must  have  felt 
the  touch  upon  their  feet ! 

Then  follows  a  bit  of  explanation.*  But  the 
chief  thing  had  already  been  done.  The  acting 
was  more  than  the  speech.  Three  things  the 
Master  was  doing.  The  teaching  about  humility 
lies  on  the  surface,  within  easy  reach.  It  was 
acted,  then  spoken  ;  done,  then  said.  It  was 
sorely  needed,  and  is.  In  it  was  the  key  to 
Jesus'  great  victoiy  within  the  twenty-four  hours 
following,'  and  would  have  been  for  them  had 
they  used  it.  Humility  is  the  foundation  of  all 
strength  and  victory.     Only  the  strong  can  stoop. 

>  xiii.  4-11.         2  xiii.  12-20.         '  Philippians  ii.  6-11. 


Closer  Wooing  199 

It  takes  the  strongest  to  stoop  lowest.  He  who 
so  stoops  is  revealing  strength. 

Humility  is  not  thinking  meanly  of  yourself ; 
it  is  merely  getting  into  correct  personal  relation 
with  God,  and  so  with  men.  It  is  our  true 
normal  attitude,  as  dependent  creatures,  as  those 
who  have  sinned,  as  those  who  have  been  bought 
with  blood.  Everything  we  have  is  from  An- 
other, originally  and  continuously  ;  we  are  ut- 
terly dependent.  All  rights  have  been  forfeited 
by  our  wilful  conduct ;  we  retain  nothing  in  our 
own  right.  And  all  we  have  now  has  been  se- 
cured for  us  at  the  cost  of  blood  ;  we  are  being 
carried  at  enormous  expense.  Not  much  room 
there  for  self-satisfaction,  is  there  ? 

Humility  is  simply  recognizing  our  utter  depend- 
ence upon  Another,  and  living  it.  And  this  con- 
trols our  touch  with  our  fellows.  In  this  lies  the 
secret  of  all  strength, — mental  keenness  and 
vigour,  sympathetic  touch  with  others,  and 
power  of  action  in  life  and  in  service.  All 
this  touches  the  weakest  spot  in  these  men,  and 
in — us. 

But  there's  more  here.  The  humility  teaching 
is  out  on  the  surface.  There's  a  bit  under  the 
surface,  that  they  would  soon  be  needing  and 
needing  badly.  It's  this :  the  thing  in  you  that's 
wrong  must  be  made  right ;  and  it  can  be.  Every 
sin  done  by  the  man  who  is  trusting  Christ  as  his 
Saviour,  every  such  sin  must  be  cleansed  away. 
And  it  can  be.  The  feet- washing  told  this  bit  of 
tremendous  truth. 

These  men  trusted  Christ.     But  tneir  moral 


200      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

feet  would  get  badly  messed  that  night,  mired 
and  slimed  by  passionate  betrayal  and  blas- 
phemous denial  and  cowardly  flight.  The  man 
going  to  the  bath-house  was  clean  on  returning 
home  except  where  his  sandalled  feet  had  gath- 
ered some  soil  from  the  road.  These  men  were 
cleansed  in  heart  through  Christ.  But  the  foot- 
soilings  must  be  cleansed.  These  two  things  ring 
out.  Sin  must  be  reckoned  with  and  cleansed 
out.  And,  blessed  truth  !  it  can  be.  This  is  the 
second  bit.  It  would  be  brought  to  their  re- 
membrance that  same  night  when  the  road 
they  took  dirtied  them  up  so  badly,  and  after- 
wards. 

But  there's  a  deeper,  a  tenderer  bit  yet  here. 
There  is  tJie  love  touch.  Jesus  was  giving  them 
the  tenderest  touch  yet  of  His  love,  to  hold  them. 
The  personal  touch  is  the  tenderest.  Man  yearns 
for  the  personal  touch,  of  presence,  of  lips,  of 
hands.  Something  seems  to  go  through  the  per- 
sonal touch  from  heart  to  heart.  The  spirit-cur- 
rents find  their  connection  so.  Jesus  gave  the 
tender  personal  touch  that  evening,  the  closest 
yet.  His  hands  touched  their  feet,  but  He  was 
not  thinking  most  about  their  feet.  He  was 
reaching  higher  up.  His  hands  reached  past 
their  feet  for  their  hearts. 

And  they  felt  it  so.  Their  hearts  understood, 
if  their  heads  didn't  yet.  Judas  felt  those  hands 
reaching  to  touch  his  heart.  And  he  had  to  set 
himself  afresh  to  resist  that  touch.  John  felt  it, 
and  remained  steady.  Peter  felt  it  and  came  back 
with  flooded  eyes.     The  fleeing  nine  felt  that 


Closer  Wooing  201 

touch  and  yielded  to  it  as  they  penitently  re- 
turned.    Love  won.     That  personal  touch  did  it. 

But  Jesus  feels  Judas'  heart  hardening  as  He 
touches  his  feet,  and  the  gentle  word  already 
spoken  availed  not.*  Now  His  great  heart  is 
sorely  troubled  for  Judas.  ^  He  tries  once  again 
to  reach  his  heart  and  stay  his  wayward  feet. 
He  reaches  for  his  feet  through  his  heart  this 
time.  They're  all  together  about  the  table  again. 
Quietly,  but  with  tactful  indirectness,  Jesus  lets 
Judas  know  that  He  knows.  He  says,  "  One  of 
you  is  planning  to  betray  Me." 

The  men  stare  one  at  another  in  questioning 
astonishment.  Peter  touches  John's  arm  and 
with  eye  and  word  quietly  asks  him  to  find  out. 
John  reclining  next  to  Jesus  asks  the  question  in 
undertone.  And  as  quietly  Jesus  makes  reply. 
Then  the  last  appeal  is  made  to  Judas  in  the  last 
delicate  touch  of  special  personal  attention. 
Judas'  unchanged  spirit  makes  wordless  answer. 
The  hardening  of  the  purpose  is  a  further  open- 
ing of  a  downward  door  and  that  door  is  quickly 
used  by  the  evil  one. 

And  Judas  rises  abruptly  with  jaw  set  and  eye 
tense,  and  goes  out  into  the  blackest  night  the 
clouds  ever  shut  in.  So  the  first  tremendous  part 
of  the  evening's  drama  is  now  done.  The  wooing 
of  Judas  has  been  intense  and  tender  clean  up  to 
the  last  moment,  and  resisted.  Now  that  chapter 
is  done.  Another  corner  is  passed.  The  ex- 
tremes have — parted.  One  man  has  gone  out. 
Eleven  stay  in,  and  in  staying  come  closer. 

» xiii.  18.  2  xiii.  21-30. 


202      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

Believe — Love — Obey. 

The  atmosphere  clears  now.  That  black  cloud 
shifts.  The  pressure  is  relieved.  The  air  changes. 
Breathing  is  easier.  Jesus  did  His  best  to  keep 
Judas  in  by  trying  to  have  him  turn  something 
— some  one — out.  But  the  something  that  held 
the  some  one  is  kept  within,  so  the  man  goes  out. 
That  inside  air  was  getting  a  bit  thick  for  Judas. 
Love's  tender  pleading  unyielded  to  makes 
breathing  difficult. 

Again  Jesus  begins  talking  in  the  cleared  air. 
The  hour  had  full  come.  The  character  of  the 
Son  of  Man  would  now  be  revealed,*  and  in  being 
revealed  God's  character  would  also  be  under- 
stood, and  God  Himself  would  show  what  Re 
thought  of  Jesus  by  His  personal  recognition  and 
acknowledgment  of  Him,  and  He  would  do  it  at 
once.  The  clock  is  striking  the  hour.  Now  He 
was  going  away.     They  would  not  understand.* 

'The  word  "glory"  with  its  companion  "glorify,"  is 
frequent  in  John.  We  shall  nnderstand  better  if  we  remem- 
ber that  originally  the  word  he  uses  means  the  opinion  that 
one  has  of  another,  especially  a  good  opinion.  But  as  the 
word  is  used  commonly  here  the  underlying  thought  is,  not 
what  one  thinks  of  another,  nor  yet  something  that  one  may 
give  to  another,  but  the  actual  character  in  the  one  so  thought 
of.  Glory  is  the  character  of  goodness.  So  to  see  one^s  glory 
is  to  see  his  real  inner  character,  and  to  see  that  character 
openly  recognized  and  acknowledged.  So  to  glorify  means 
to  recognize  and  acknowledge  openly  the  true  character  of 
one.  Twice  in  John  the  word  is  used  in  the  cheaper  mean* 
ing  of  outer  honour  among  men.     vii.  18  ;  viii.  50. 

»xiii.  31-33. 


Closer  Wooing  203 

Then  Jesus  strikes  the  great  key-note  of  their 
future  conduct  as  He  goes  on.  The  thing  is  this : 
love  one  another.  This  is  the  badge  He  gives 
them  to  wear.  It  will  always  identify  them  as 
His  very  own.  Peter  picks  up  the  one  bit  he 
understands,  and  is  told  that  he  cannot  yet  fol- 
low in  the  tremendous  experieuce  lying  just 
ahead  for  Jesus,  but  some  day  he  can,  and  will. 
And  then  to  Peter's  blundering  self-confidence 
comes  a  plain  tender  reminder  of  his  weakness.* 
So  that  wondrous  fourteenth  chapter  that  Chris- 
tendom loves  begins  back  in  the  thirteenth. 

And  Jesus  goes  quietly  on  as  they  still  linger 
about  the  table.'  He  had  been  sorely  troubled,* 
but  He  would  have  them  not  troubled  by  their 
doubtings  regarding  Himself.  It  is  true  that 
they  were  outcasts  with  Him,  from  their  national 
home,  but  He  would  provide  them  a  home,  and  a 
better  one.  They  did  believe  in  God.  They 
should  believe  Him  just  as  implicitly.  This  is 
the  warp  into  which  is  woven  the  whole  fabric  of 
that  evening's  talk.  The  whole  talk  is  a  plea  for 
their  trusting  loving  acceptance  of  Himself  as 
fully  as  of  God.  This  word  ^' believe^'  changes 
its  outer  shape  three  times  during  that  evening, 
making  four  words  in  all,  but  it's  always  the  same 
thing  underneath. 

So  now  the  teaching  goes  on  in  freest  exchange 
of  question  and  answer.  What  a  picture  of  how 
we  may  talk  everything  out  with  our  Lord  and 
get    fully    answered.     Thomas'    question    helps 

»xiii.  34-38.  »xiv.  1-14. 

»  xi.  33  ;  xii.  27;    xiiJ.  21- 


204      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

Jesus  to  turn  them  away  from  thinking  of  a  road- 
way of  clay  and  sand  to  a  Man.  Philip's  helps 
Him  to  insist  on  the  presence  of  the  Father  in  a 
distinctive  sense  within  this  Man  so  familiarly 
talking  with  them.  And  then  four  times  over 
He  rings  out  that  word  believe. 

Then  by  a  subtle  turn  He  changes  the  word, 
though  not  the  thing,  to  help  them  understand 
better  :  "  If  ye  love  Me."  ^  That  puts  the  thing 
at  once  up  on  the  heart  level.  Believing  is  a 
thing  of  the  heart.  Their  heads  were  bothered. 
He  said  in  effect, — all  your  head  questions  will 
be  answered  in  good  time,  but  this  thing  is  higher 
up  than  that.  It's  a  matter  of  your  heart.  And 
so  that  word  believe  becomes  love,  its  second  shape. 
And  with  that  is  quickly  coupled  obey,  the  third 
outer  shape  He  gives  the  word  believe  that  night. 

It  is  all  the  same  thing  underneath.  Love  is 
the  heart  side  of  believe,  the  inner  side.  Obey  is 
the  life-side  of  believe,  the  outer,  the  action  side. 
The  love  looks  out  the  window  of  the  life  and 
then  comes  out  and  wdlJcs  down  the  street  on  an 
errand.  Love  doesn'  t  simply  love  :  it  loves  some 
one.  Love  that  simply  loves  isn't  love.  Love 
comes  to  life  only  in  the  personal  touch. 

And  love  keeps  in  perfect  rhythm  of  action 
with  the  one  loved.  That  is  the  other  way  of 
saying  obey.  Obedience  is  the  music  of  two  wills 
acting  together.  Believe  me,  love  me,  obey  me, 
— this  is  the  three-noted  music  of  the  upper  room  ; 
three  notes  but  one  music  ;  a  fourth  note  to  be 
added  later.     This  is  the  wondrous  closer  wooing. 

»  xiv.  15-31. 


Closer  Wooing  205 

"  I  go  to  the  Father.  We,  the  Father  and  I, 
will  send  the  Holy  Spirit  to  you.  He  will  come 
in  through  this  opened  door  of  obedience.  He 
will  abide  in  you,  come  in  to  stay.  He  will  be 
everything  and  do  everything  that  you  need  in 
every  sort  of  circumstance.  Keep  in  closest 
touch  with  Him :  this  is  to  be  your  one  rule. 
Your  part  is  simple.  Believe;  that  means  Zowe/ 
that  means  ohey.^^ 

So  they  talk  around  the  table.  Then  there's 
thoughtful  silence,  which  the  Master  breaks  by 
saying,  "  Arise,  let  us  go." 

The  Great  Vine  Picture. 

Now  they're  walking  down  the  street,  silently, 
the  Master  in  the  lead,  with  John  and  Peter 
close  by.'  The  moon  is  at  the  full.  Now  they 
see  the  temple,  the  moonlight  falling  full  upon  it. 
And  the  great  brass  grape- vine  with  which  it  had 
been  beautified  by  Herod  at  his  building  of  it 
shines  with  wondrous  beauty  in  the  enchantment 
of  moonlight. 

And  now  the  Master  is  speaking  again.  Very 
quietly  the  words  come  as  they  still  gaze  at  the 
beauty  of  the  brass  vine.  Listen  to  Him,  '*  Jam 
the  true  vine,  and  My  Father  the  vine-gardener." 
Here  is  the  illustration  that  exactly  pictures  what 
He  had  been  saying  in  the  upper  room.  It  sup- 
plies the  fourth  word,  the  fourth  outer  shape  that 
word  Relieve  takes  on,  believe,  that  is — love,  that  is 
—obey,  that  is — abide. 

1  XT.  1-17. 


2o6      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

Look  at  the  vine,  then  you  have  the  whole 
story  pictured,  simple,  clear,  full.  Each  of  these 
four  words  grows  out  of  the  other  as  fruit  out  of 
blossom,  and  blossom  out  of  the  new  branch  and 
that  out  of  the  old  stock  of  the  vine  :  believe, 
love,  obey,  abide  ;  vine,  new  branches,  tiny  blos- 
som, fruit.  The  fruit  grows  out  of  the  vine  ;  yet 
it  is  the  very  life  of  the  vine.  Abide  grows  out 
of  believe,  yet  it  is  the  very  heart  and  inner  life 
of  believe. 

So  He  goes  on  ringing  the  changes  back  and 
forth,  now  here,  now  there.  Pruning — that  in- 
sures fruit,  and  more  and  better.  Prayitig — that 
is  the  fruit,  some  of  it ;  that  naturally  grows  out 
of  the  abiding.  ^^  My  words  ^^ — that  is  part  of 
the  abiding,  the  life-juice  of  the  vine  coming  into 
branch  and  blossom  and  fruit.  "  Jo?/ " —that  is 
the  rich  red  juice  of  the  grape  in  your  mouth. 
^^  Friends  ^^ — that  is  the  other  word  for  abide. 
That's  what  abiding  makes  and  reveals.  Abiding 
— that  is  what  friends  do  :  that's  what  friendship 
1~.,  the  real  thing.  Obey — that  is  the  swing  of 
step  with  our  great  Friend  as  we  go  along  the 
road  together.  So  these  clusters  of  rich  ripe 
fruit  hang  thick  on  the  vine  of  this  simple  teach- 
ing-talk as  they  walk  along  in  the  moonlight. 

And  now  they're  passing  through  some  of  the 
narrower  streets  as  they  make  their  way  east 
towards  the  city  gate.'  And  these  narrow  streets 
are  shadowed.  And  you  feel  the  shadows  creep- 
ing into  His  talk.  The  world  will  hate  them.  Of 
course.  This  is  a  natural  result  of  the  abiding. 
»  ~».  18-xvi.  18. 


Closer  Wooing  207 

The  outer  crowd  can  no  more  put  up  witli  the 
Jesus- swayed  man  than  with  Jesus  Himself.  And 
the  hate  would  be  aggressive. 

But  if  they  would  clearly  understand  ahead 
what  to  expect  it  would  help  them  keep  their 
feet  when  the  worst  storm  came.  And  by  stay- 
ing steady  and  true  through  the  worst  that  came, 
they  would  be  of  the  greatest  service.  The  Holy 
Spirit  in  them  would  reach  out  and  talk  to  that 
outer  crowd.  He  would  make  clear  to  them 
their  awful  sin  in  killing  Jesus,  the  spotless 
purity  and  Tightness  of  the  absent  Jesus,  and  the 
terrific  fact  that  the  prince  of  the  world  whom 
they  rally  to  so  faithfully  is  actually  judged, 
doomed  and  damned.  Then  He  adds,  ''now  in 
a  little  bit  I'll  be  gone  from  you.  Then  a  little 
later,  I'll  be  with  you  again." 

So  He  goes  on  ringing  the  changes  back  and 
forth  on  this  in  simple  conversational  style.  And 
now  they  are  silent.  The  narrow  street  is  quite 
shadowed.  He  lets  them  think  a  bit  over  His 
words.  And  the  personal  part  takes  hold  most. 
And  they  talk  softly  together  of  what  this  means, 
— a  little  while  and  He  is  gone ;  again  a  little 
while,  and  He  is  back.  They're  plainly  puzzled, 
yet  restrained  from  breaking  in  upon  His  deep 
mood. 

But  with  characteristic  gentleness  He  speaks 
of  what  they  would  ask.'  Clearly  there  is  some 
terrible  experience  for  Him  and  for  them  just  at 
hand.  But  He  reaches  past  to  the  joy  beyond, 
as  the  mother  forgets  sharp  pains  in  the  joy  of 
» xvi.  19-33. 


2o8      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

her  new-born  babe.  And  as  He  talks  they  think 
they  understand  now,  but  again  He  gently  re- 
minds of  the  storm  about  to  break.  And  then 
He  leaves  them  three  wondrous  words, — peace^ 
good-cheet'f  overcome.  In  the  midst  of  the  worst 
storm  there  may  be  peace.  In  the  thickest  of 
tribulation  the  song  of  cheer  may  ring  out.  He 
has  overcome.  The  outcome  is  settled.  No 
doubts  need  nag.  Sing  !  Sing  louder  !  Christ 
is  Victor  ! 

This  is  the  second  bit  of  the  evening's  closer 
wooing,  this  long  quiet  talk  about  the  supper 
table  and  along  the  road.  It  is  wooing  them  up 
to  more  intelligence  in  their  believiug  and  loving. 
It's  wooing  them  to  trust  JTim,  hold  hard  to  Him, 
during  the  coming  storm,  when  they  wouldn't 
understand.  Even  when  they  can't  understand, 
but  stand  in  hopeless  helpless  bewilderment,  they 
still  can  trust  Sim. 

Taken  into  the  Innermost  Life. 

They're  outside  the  city-gate  now,  going  down 
the  path  towards  the  Kidron  Brook.  Now  comes 
the  third  bit  of  that  evening's  closer  wooing.* 
And  this  is  the  tenderest,  the  most  persoual,  the 
least  resistible  bit,  the  closest  wooing  of  all.  He 
takes  them  into  His  innermost  heart-life  for  a 
brief  moment.  It  must  have  reminded  John 
afterwards  of  that  mountain-top  experience  when 
Jesus  drew  aside  the  drapery  of  His  humanity 
and  let  a  little  of  the  inner  glory  shine  oufe 
^  zvii.  tbroughont. 


Closer  Wooing  209 

Here  He  takes  them  with  Him  into  the  holy  of 
holies  of  His  own  inner  life  with  His  Father. 

Let  not  any  one  think  that  Jesus  was  simply 
letting  them  hear  Him  pray,  so  they  might  learn. 
Not  that ;  not  that.  He  was  taking  them  into 
the  sacred  privacy  of  His  own  innermost  life. 
That  was  a  bit  of  the  wooing,  under  the  desperate 
happenings  just  ahead.  But  now  as  He  takes 
them  in  He  quite  forgets  them,  though  He  knows 
they  are  there.  He  is  absorbed  with  the  Father. 
He  isn't  thinking  now  of  the  effect  of  all  this  on 
them.  That's  past.  He  is  alone  in  spirit  with 
the  Father,  talking  out  freely  even  as  though 
actually  quite  alone. 

We  are  in  the  innermost  holy  of  holies  here. 
The  heart  of  the  world's  life  is  its  literature. 
The  heart  of  all  literature  is  this  sacred  Book  of 
God.  The  heart  of  this  Book  is  the  Gospels. 
The  heart  of  these  four  Gospels  is  John's.  The 
heart  of  John's  is  this  exquisite  bit,  chapters 
thirteen  to  seventeen.  And  there's  yet  an  inner 
heart  here.  It  is  this  bit,  the  seventeenth 
chapter,  where  the  inner  side  of  Jesus'  prayer-life 
lies  open  to  us.  And  we  shall  find  an  innermost 
heart  yet  again  here. 

The  simplicity  of  speech  here  catches  the  ear. 
The  holy  intimacy  of  contact  with  God  hushes 
the  spirit.  The  certainty  of  the  Father's  presence 
awes  the  heart  greatly.  The  unquestioning  con- 
fidence in  the  outcome  is  to  one's  faith  like  a 
glass  of  kingdom  wine  fresh  from  the  King's  own 
hand.  The  tenseness  and  yet  exquisite  quietness 
holds  one's  being  still  with  a  great  stillness. 


210      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

Both  shoes  and  hat  go  off  instinctively  and  we 
stand  with  head  bowed  low  and  heart  hushed  for 
this  is  holiest  ground. 

Of  course,  no  paraphrase  of  this  prayer  can 
possibly  approach  its  own  beauty  and  simplicity. 
But  it  may  perhaps  send  one  back  to  the  prayer 
itself  to  see  better  what  is  there. 

They're  out  in  the  open,  down  near  the  Kidron. 
Jesus  stops  and  looks  up  towards  the  blue,  the 
Father's  open  door,  and  quietly  talks  out  of  His 
heart  into  His  Father's  heart,  ''  Father :  the  hour 
is  come  "  ;  talked  of  long  before  this  errand  was 
started  upon,  brooded  over  these  human  years, 
felt  in  His  inner  being  as  it  ticked  itself  nearer  in 
the  tremendous  passing  events.  Now  it  is  come. 
The  clock  is  striking  the  hour,  striking  on  earth 
and  echoed  distinctly  in  the  Father's  ear. 

''Father  :  reveal  now  the  true  character  of  the 
Son  ;  yet  only  that  the  Sou  may  reveal  Thy  true 
character.'  Thou  hast  already  done  so  in  the 
control  Thou  hast  given  Him  over  all  men,  that 
so  He  may  give  to  them  the  eternal  life.  And 
this  is  the  real  life  to  come  into  intimate  touch 
of  heart  and  life  with  Thee  and  with  Thine 
anointed  One,  Jesus." 

''  I  have  already  revealed  Thy  character  in  do- 
ing fully  the  errand  Thou  didst  send  Me  on. 
(And  it  was  fully  done  in  all  the  active  part, 
though  the  greatest  thing  yet  remained  to  be 
done  in  the  tremendous  yielding,  the  strong 
passive  yielding  to  Hate's  worst  that  so  Love's 
truest  and  best  might  be  clearly  seen  by  men.) 
*  See  footnote  on  "glory,"  page  202. 


Closer  Wooing  211 

And  now  I  am  coming  back  to  be  recognized  and 
acknowledged  and  received  by  Thine  own  self 
even  as  it  was  before  I  came  away  on  this  errand." 

Thus  far  He  has  been  alone  with  the  Father 
face-to  face ;  just  the  two  together  in  closest 
commuuiou.  Now  the  prayer  moves  on  from 
communion  and  petition  to  intercession.  He  is 
thinking  of  others,  of  these  men  who  are  grouped 
near  by.  He  has  prayed  for  them  before.  He 
is  simply  picking  up  the  thread  of  the  accustomed 
prayer  He  had  prayed,  and  would  still  pray 
when  He  had  gone  from  them  up  through  the 
doorway  of  the  blue. 

He  has  revealed  the  Father  to  them,  and  they 
have  understood  and  believed  and  have  followed. 
Now  He  prays  for  thenij  that  they  may  be  Jcept ; 
not  taken  out  of  the  world  ;  kept  in  it,  giving 
their  witness  to  it,  yet  never  of  its  spirit,  always 
controlled  by  another  Spirit.  They  were  being 
sent  into  the  world  for  witness  even  as  He  had 
been. 

Aud  a  great  word  breaks  out  like  the  bursting 
of  a  flood  of  sunlight  out  of  dark  clouds,— Jo?/. 
He  had  used  it  that  evening  before  in  the  upper 
room,  and  again  along  the  road.  Now  it  flashes 
out  again.  This  reveals  the  meaning  of  that 
good-cheer  and  overcome  with  which  the  roadway 
talk  closed.  With  the  clouds  of  hate  at  their 
blackest,  and  the  storm  just  about  to  break  in 
uncontrolled  wild  fury,  He  speaks  of  "  My  Jo?/." 
He  is  singing.  In  the  thick  of  hatred  and  plot- 
ting here's  the  bit  of  music,  in  the  major  key, 
rippling  out.     Such  a  spirit  cannot  be  defeated. 


2 1 2      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

Joy  is  faith  singing  in  the  storm  because  it  sees 
already  the  clearing  light  beyond. 

And  so  He  prays  on,  touching  the  same  keys  of 
the  musical  instrument  of  His  heart,  back  and 
forth,  yet  ever  advancing  in  the  theme.  Now  He 
broadens  out,  in  clear  vision,  beyond  the  gather- 
ing storm,  to  those,  through  all  the  earth,  and 
down  the  centuries,  who  would  believe  through 
these  men  who  are  listening.  What  a  sweep  of 
faith.     That  singing  cleared  His  vision. 

And  then  He  sees  them  all,  of  many  races  and 
languages  and  radical  differences,  all  blended 
into  one  body  of  earnest  loving  believers  drawn 
by  the  one  vision  of  Himself  back  in  the  glory  of 
the  Father's  presence,  where  they  will  all  gather. 
And  then  love  ties  the  knot  on  the  end.  A  per- 
sonal love  ties  together  Father  and  Son  and — us, 
who  humbly  give  the  glad  homage  of  our  hearts. 

Eight  in  the  very  midst  of  the  prayer  lies  that 
innermost  heart  of  which  I  spoke  a  moment  ago. 
It  is  in  verse  ten.  Jesus  says,  ''  All  things  that  are 
Mine  are  Thine,  and  Thine  are  Mine. "  There  lies 
the  very  inner  heart  of  all  carried  to  the  last  de- 
gree. There  is  glad  giving  and  full  taking  ;  sur- 
render and  appropriation.  He  who  gives  all 
,  may  reach  in  and  take  all.  Here  is,  humanly, 
the  secret  of  Jesus'  stupendous  character  and 
career. 

And  it  is  the  same  for  the  humblest  of  us.  The 
road  is  no  different.  We  may  say,  by  His  great 
grace,  in  the  insistence  of  our  sovereign  wills, 
**  All  that  is  mine  is  Thine  :  I  give  it  Thee.  I 
give  it  back  to  Thee  :  I  use  all  the  strength  of 


Closer  Wooing  213 

my  will  in  yielding  all  to  Thee,  and  in  doing  it 
habitually." 

Then  we  can  say,  with  greatest  reverence  and 
humility  and  yet  bold  confidence,  ' '  All  that  is 
Thine  is  mine.^^  Yet  being  mine  it  is  Thine. 
Still  being  Thine  it  is  mine.  So  comes  the  per- 
fection of  the  rhythmic  action  of  love.  Our  love 
gives  our  all  to  Rim.  And  then  takes  the  greater 
all  of  His — no,  not  from  Him,  for  Him,  held  in 
trust,  used  for  Him,  while  we  keep  knees  and 
face  close  to  the  ground,  lest  we  stumble  and  slip 
and  worse. 

So  the  prayer  closes.  And  if  we  might  go 
back  over  it,  alone  in  secret,  prayerfully,  quietly 
thinking  thoughtfully  into  it,  until  this  great 
simple  prayer  gets  its  hold  upon  our  hearts. 
And  then  gradually  it  would  come  to  us  that  so 
He  is  now  j)raying  for  us,  you  and  me. 

What  must  it  have  meant  to  these  men  to  stand 
there  quietly,  awed  as  they  listen  to  Him  praying 
that  prayer.  How  it  reveals  the  deep  couscious- 
ness  of  the  intimacy  of  relation  between  Father 
and  Son.  How  it  must  have  touched  and  stirred 
them  to  the  very  depths  to  hear  Jesus  telling  the 
Father  so  simply  about  their  faith  in  Himself, 
and  their  obedience,  their  break  with  their 
national  allegiance  to  follow  Himself.  And  that 
word  joy — did  they  wonder  about  it?  And 
wonder  more  later  that  night,  and  the  days 
after  ?  But  the  key-note  of  the  music  caught^  and 
soon  they  were  singing  the  same  tune,  and  in  the 
same  pitch. 

What  wooing  !    This  was  the  closest  wooing. 


214      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

The  fine  wooing  of  this  matchless  Lover  came  to 
its  superlative  degree  that  night.  Positive  de- 
gree, that  touch  upon  their  feet ;  comparative, 
that  talk  about  the  board  and  along  the  road  j 
superlative,  this  taking  them  in  for  a  brief  mo- 
ment into  the  secrecy  of  His  inner  communion 
with  the  Father. 

Simplified  Spelling. 

And  this  closer  wooing  is  not  over.  It  hasn't 
quit  yet.  That  vine  is  still  hanging  out  in  fine 
view,  all  softly  ablaze  with  the  clear  beautifying 
light,  not  of  a  fine  Passover  moon  ;  no,  the  light 
of  His  /«ce.  His  life^  His  words.  That  vine  be- 
comes for  all  time  to  every  heart  the  pictured 
meaning  of  abide.  And  that  word  abide  gives  the 
whole  of  the  true  life. 

We  say  Christian  life,  and  rightly.  I  like  to 
say  also,  the  true,  the  natural,  life.  Any  other  is 
abnormal,  unnatural,  untrue.  I  might  say,  "of 
the  higher  Christian  life,"  following  the  common 
usage  of  these  latter  days.  I  still  prefer  to  say 
true  life.  Higher  means  that  there  is  a  lower  life. 
And  that  this  lower  is  reckoned  Christian,  too. 
That  is  the  bother,  the  cheapening  of  things  ;  we 
call  a  thing  Christian  which  is  less  than  the  thing 
it  is  called. 

Some  of  us  need  to  go  to  school,  and  to  sit 
down  in  the  lower  classes  where  spelling  is  taught. 
We  can  spell  believe  in  the  common  way  with 
seven  letters.  We  must  learn  to  spell  it  with 
four  letters — I-o-v-e.  We  need  to  learn  to  spell 
love  with  a  b  and  a  y — o-b-e-y.     We  need  to  learn 


Closer  Wooing  2J5 

to  spell  obey  with  five  letters  a-b-i-d-e.  We  need 
to  find  that  abide  is  spelled  best  with  four  letters 
o-b-e-y. 

We  need  to  learn  this  simplified  spelling  a  bit, 
then  all  will  become  simplified,  living,  loving, 
witnessing,  praying,  winning,  singing  with  joy 
over  the  results  of  our  new  spelling  in  the  syllables 
of  daily  life.  Blessed  Master,  we  would  come  to 
school  to  Thee  to-day.  Please  let  us  start  down 
in  the  spelling  class.  And  teach  us,  Thou  Thy- 
self teach  us. 

But  the  vine — let  us  make  that  the  central  pic- 
ture on  the  wall,  with  the  Master  in  the  picture 
pointing  to  the  vine.  And  under  the  picture  the 
one  word  abide.  Then  the  whole  story  is  in  easy 
shape  to  help,  pictured  before  our  eyes.  Abide — 
that  is  Jesus  walking  around  in  your  shoes,  looking 
out  through  your  eyes,  touching  in  your  hand, 
speaking  through  your  lips  and  your  presence. 
He  is  free  to  ;  that's  your  side  of  it.  He's  un- 
hindered.    He  does  it ;  that's  His  side  of  it. 

Look  up  at  the  picture  on  the  wall.  The  whole 
vine  is  in  the  fruit,  is  it  not  ?  The  whole  of  the 
fruit  is  in  the  vine,  is  it  not  ?  That's  abiding. 
The  whole  of  Jesus  will  be  in  you  as  you  go  about 
your  daily  common  task,  singing.  The  whole  of 
you  is  in  Jesus  as  everything  simple  and  great,  is 
done  to  please  Sivi,  singing  as  you  do  it. 

And  just  as  between  vine  and  fruit  there  are 
branch  and  blossom,  pruning  and  careful  han- 
dling, sun  and  shade,  dew  and  rain,  so  there  are 
betweens  here  before  full  ripening  of  fruit  comes. 
There's  purifying,  cleansing  by  blood,  cleansing 


2l6      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

by  a  soft  fire  burning  within,  and  pruning  by  the 
Gardener  and  by  His  human  assistant,  you,  sharp, 
incisive,  hurting  pruning. 

There's  feeding^ — the  juice  of  the  xmejloios  in, 
and  is  tciken  in  ;  the  divine  word  of  the  divine 
Master  is  meditated,  the  cud  of  it  is  chewed  daily. 
There's  obedience, — perfect  rhythm  of  action  be- 
tween vine  and  branches.  There's  prayer,  the 
intercourse  of  our  spirits.  His  and  ours,  together, 
the  drawing  from  Him  all  we  need,  and  the  let- 
ting Him  use  us  in  His  interceding  for  His  world. 
These  are  some  of  the  beticeens.  Through  these 
comes  the  ripening  fruit. 

And  the  outer  crowd  comes  eagerly  for  the 
fruit  hanging  over  the  fence  within  easy  reach. 
There's  a  warm  sympathy  with  one's  fellows  j 
only  the  thing's  more  than  the  words  sound. 
The  Jesus-spirit  within  will  be  felt  by  those  out- 
side, something  warm  and  gentle  and  helpful. 
There  will  be  things  done,  many  things,  earnestly 
thoughtfully  done.  The  proper  word  is  service. 
But  the  thing's  so  much  more  than  the  word  ever 
seems  to  mean. 

And  there'll  be  yet  more,  a  more  of  a  surpris- 
ing sort.  The  classical  fox  called  the  grapes  sour 
because  he  couldnH  reach  them.  There'll  be  some 
■  outside  sour  talk  because  some  of  the  crowd  iconH 
reach  the  fruit.  It  wouldn't  agree  with  them  the 
way  they  insist  on  living.  The  Jesus-life  abid- 
ing within  and  flowing  freely  out  is  a  protest 
against  the  opposite.  The  mere  presence  of  a 
Christ- aMding  man  convicts  people  of  the  sin  of 
their  lives  and  their  treatment  of  Jesus.     It  con- 


Closer  Wooing  217 

rinces  them  that  the  absent  Jesus  is  right,  and  so 
they  are  wrong.  So  there's  trouble  out  in  the 
crowd  just  because  of  the  ripe  good  fruit  hang- 
ing in  plain  sight  and  easy  reach  over  the  vine- 
yard fence.  And  that  double  result  goes  on  get- 
ting more  so,  some  coming  to  the  vine  drawn  by 
the  fruit,  some  talking  against  fruit  and  vine. 
But  the  man  abiding  is  of  good  cheer.  He  sings. 
For  the  outcome  is  assured. 

So  every  grape-vine,  in  garden,  by  roadway, 
or  on  hillside,  with  its  vine-stock,  branches, 
blossom,  and  fruit,  tells  of  the  Father's  ideal  for 
men,  a  unity  of  life  with  Himself,  and  with  each 
other.  And  every  bunch  of  grapes  hanging  on 
one  stem,  with  its  many  in  one,  tells  of  that  same 
ideal,  the  concord  of  love  with  the  Father  and 
with  each  other. 

And  that  unity  of  love  dominating  all  is  irre- 
sistible to  the  outer  crowd,  in  the  winsomeness 
of  its  wooing. 


THE  GREATEST  WOOING 

A  Night  and  a  Day  With  Hardening  Hearts  : 
the  Story  of  Tender  Passion  and  of  a  Ter- 
rible  Tragedy 


"  Now  of  that  long  pursuit 
Comes  on  at  hand  the  bruit ; 

That  Voice  is  round  me  like  a  bursting  sea : 
'  And  is  thy  earth  so  marred, 
Shattered  in  shard  on  shard  ? 

Lo,  all  things  fly  thee,  for  thoufliest  Me  ! 
Strange,  piteous,  futile,  thing  ! 

Wherefore  should  any  set  thee  love  apart  ? 

Seeing  none  but  I  makes  much  of  naught'  (He  said) 

'And  human  love  needs  human  meriting ; 

How  hast  thou  merited — 
Of  all  man's  clotted  clay  the  dingiest  clot  ? 

Alack,  thou  knowest  not 
How  little  worthy  of  any  love  thou  art ! 
Whom  wilt  thou  find  to  love  ignoble  thee. 

Save  Me,  save  only  Me  ? 
All  which  I  took  from  thee  1  did  but  take. 

Not  for  thy  harms, 
But  just  that  thou  might'st  seek  it  in  My  arms. 

All  which  thy  child's  mistake 
Fancied  as  lost,  I  have  stored  for  thee  at  home  : 

Rise,  clasp  My  hand,  and  Come.'  " 

— "  The  Hound  of  Heaven.^ 

"  I  will  betroth  thee  unto  me  forever  ;  yea,  I  will 
betroth  thee  unto  me  in  righteousness,  and  in  justice, 
and  in  loving  kindness,  and  in  mercies.  I  will  even 
betroth  thee  unto  me  in  faithfulness," — Hosea  it.  ig,ao. 

"  Jesus,  Lover  of  my  soul. 
Let  me  to  Thy  bosom  fly. 
While  the  nearer  waters  roll. 

While  the  tempest  still  is  high. 
Hide  me,  O  my  Saviour,  hide, 
'Til  the  storm  of  life  is  past; 
Safe  into  the  haven  guide, 
O  receive  my  soul  at  last." 

^^  Charles  JVesley. 


THE  GREATEST  WOOING 

(Jobu  xviii.-xix.) 

IVider  Wooing. 

At  the  top  of  the  mountain  is  the  peak.  The 
peak  is  the  range  at  its  highest  reach.  The  peak 
grows  out  of  the  range  and  rests  upon  it  and  upon 
the  earth  under  all.  The  whole  of  the  long  moun- 
tain range  and  of  the  earth  lies  under  the  peak. 
The  peak  tells  the  story  of  the  whole  range.  At 
the  last  the  highest  and  utmost.  All  the  rest  is 
for  this  capstone. 

The  great  thing  in  Jesus'  life  is  His  death. 
The  death  crowns  the  life.  The  whole  of  the  life 
lies  under  and  comes  to  its  full  in  the  death.  The 
highest  point  is  touched  when  death  is  allowed  to 
lay  Him  lowest.  It  was  the  life  that  died  that 
gives  the  distinctive  meaning  to  the  death.  Let 
us  take  off  hat  and  shoes  as  we  come  to  this  peak 
event. 

There's  a  change  in  John's  story  here.  The 
evening  has  gone,  the  quiet  evening  of  com- 
munion. The  night  has  set  in,  the  dark  night 
of  hate.  The  intimacies  of  love  give  place  to  the 
intrigues  of  hate.  The  joy  of  communion  is 
quickly  followed  by  the  jostling  of  the  crowd. 
Out  of  the  secret  place  of  prayer  into  the  burly- 

221 


222      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

burly  of  passion.  And  the  Master's  rarely  sensi- 
tive spirit  feels  the  change.  Yet  with  quiet 
resolution  He  steps  out  to  face  it.  This  is  part 
of  the  hour,  part  of  His  great  task,  the  greatest 
part. 

For  the  holy  task  of  wooing  is  not  changed. 
It  still  is  wooing,  but  there's  a  difference  now. 
There's  a  shifting.  The  wooing  goes  from  closer 
to  wider,  from  the  disciples  to  the  outer  crowd, 
from  the  direct  wooing  of  the  national  leaders  by 
personal  plea  to  the  indirect  by  action,  tremen- 
dously personal  action. 

It  moves  out  into  a  yet  wider  sweep.  It  goes 
from  the  wooing  of  a  nation  to  the  wooing  of  a 
race,  from  Jew  distinctively  to  Eomau  represent- 
atively, from  Annas  standing  in  God's  flood 
light  rejected  to  Pilate  in  nature's  lesser  light 
obscured,  from  God's  truant  messenger  nation  to 
the  world's  mighty  ruling  nation. 

In  the  epochal  event  just  at  hand  Jesus  begins 
His  great  wooing  of  a  race.  And  that  wooing 
has  gone  on  ever  since,  wherever  He  has  been 
able  to  get  through  the  human  channels  to  the 
crowd.  He  was  lifted  up  and  at  once  men  began 
coming  a-ruuning  broken  in  heart  by  the  sight. 
He  is  being  lifted  up,  and  men  of  all  the  race  are 
coming  as  fast  as  the  slow  news  gets  to  them. 

But  back  now  to  John's  story.  They  pick 
their  way  over  the  stones  of  the  little  Kidron  into 
the  garden  of  the  olives.  There,  quite  alone  in 
the  deep  shadows  of  the  inner  trees,  Jesus  has  His 
great  spirit- conflict,  and  great  victory.  The 
touch  with  sin  so  close,  so  real,  now  upon  Him 


The  Greatest  Wooing  223 

srithin  a  few  hours,  the  sin  of  others  upon  Hia 
sinless  soul, — this  shakes  Him  terrifically  beyond 
our  understanding,  who  don't  know  purity  as  He 
did.  But  the  tremendous  strength  of  yielding 
brings  victory,  as  ever.  And  the  battle  of  the 
morrow  is  fought  in  spirit,  and  won. 

Kow  the  trailers  of  hate  come  seeking  with 
torch  and  lantern,  soldiers  and  officers,  chief 
priests  and  rulers,  the  ever  present  rabble,  and 
in  the  lead  the  shameless  traitor.  They  are  push- 
ing their  quest  now,  seeking  Jesus  in  the  hiding 
whence  He  had  gone  days  before  ^  led  by  the  man 
who  knew  His  accustomed  haunts. 

But  there's  no  need  for  seeking  now.  Jesus  is 
full  ready.  He  decides  the  action  that  follows. 
He  is  masterful  even  in  His  purposeful  yielding. 
Quietly  He  walks  out  from  the  cover  of  the  trees 
to  meet  them.  And  as  their  torches  turn  full 
upon  His  advancing  figure  again  that  marvellous 
power  not  only  of  restraint  but  decidedly  more  is 
felt  by  them.  And  the  whole  company,  traitor, 
soldiers,  rulers,  rabble,  overpowered  in  spirit, 
fall  back  and  then  drop  to  the  ground  utterly 
overawed  and  cowed  by  the  lone  man  they  are 
seeking. 

Does  Judas  expect  this  ?  Will  this  power  they 
are  unable  to  resist  not  open  the  eyes  of  these 
rulers?  But  there's  no  stupidity  equal  to  that 
which  goes  with  stubbornness.  In  a  moment 
Jesus  reveals  His  purpose  in  this,  to  shield  His 
disciples.  Now  the  power  of  restraint  is  with- 
drawn and  He  yields  to  their  desires.  They  shall 
>  xii,  36. 


224      Qu^^t  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

have  fullest  sway  in  using  their  freedom  of  action 
as  they  will.  And  Peter's  foolish  attempts  are 
quietly  overruled. 

They  keep  up  the  forms  by  taking  Jesus  to 
Annas  the  real  Jewish  ruler  of  the  nation.  But 
it  is  simply  an  opportunity  for  the  coarseness  of 
their  hate  to  vent  itself  upon  His  person.  They 
pretend  an  examination  here  in  the  night' s  dark- 
ness suited  to  their  deeds.  He  quietly  reminds 
them  of  the  frank  openness  of  all  His  teachings. 

Meanwhile  John's  friendly  act  has  gotten 
Peter  entrance.  The  attitude  of  the  two  men  is 
in  sharpest  contrast.  John  is  avowedly  Jesus' 
friend,  regardless  of  personal  danger.  Peter  just 
the  reverse.  And  the  hate  of  the  leaders  has 
soaked  into  all  their  surroundings  even  down  to 
the  housemaids.  And  John  notes  how  exactly 
Jesus  foreknew  all,  even  to  a  thrice-spoken  denial 
before  the  second  crowing  of  a  cock. 

Now  comes  the  great  Pilate  phase.  It  was  the 
intense  malignity  of  their  hate  that  made  them 
bother  with  Pilate.  They  could  easily  have 
killed  Jesus  and  Pilate  would  never  have  con- 
cerned himself  about  it.  But  they  couldn't  have 
put  Him  to  such  exquisite  suffering  and  such 
shameful  indignity  before  the  crowds  as  by  the 
Eoman  form  of  death  by  crucifixion. 

Clearly  there  is  a  hate  at  work  behind  theirs. 
Their  hate  is  distinctly  inhuman.  Is  all  hate? 
There's  an  unseen  personal  power  in  action  here 
set  on  spilling  out  the  utmost  that  malignant  hate 
can  upon  the  person  of  Jesus.  But  these  men 
are  cheerful  tools.     Hate  is  tying  its  hardest  knot 


The  Greatest  Wooing  225 

with  ugliest  black  thread  on  the  end  of  its  oppor- 
tunity. 

This  is  Pilate's  opportunity  and  he  seems  to 
sense  it.  And  a  struggle  begins  between  con- 
science and  cowardice,  between  right  action  with 
an  ugly  fight  for  it,  and  yielding  to  wrong  with 
an  easy  time  of  it.  Clearly  he  feels  the  purity 
and  the  personal  power  of  this  unusual  prisoner. 
The  motive  of  envy  and  hate  under  their  action 
is  as  plain  to  his  trained  eyes. 

Twice  the  two  men,  Pilate  and  Jesus,  are  alone 
together.  Did  ever  man  have  such  an  oppor- 
tunity, personally,  and  historically  f  With  rare 
touch  and  wiusomeness  Jesus  woos.  And  Pilate 
feels  it  to  the  marrow  under  all  his  rough  speech. 
His  repeated  attempts  with  the  leaders  make  that 
clear.  But  cowardice  gripped  him  hard.  It's 
a  way  cowardice  has. 

The  name  of  Ctesar  conjures  up  fears, — loss  of 
position,  of  wealth,  of  reputation,  maybe  of  life  it- 
self. He  surrenders.  Conscience  is  slain  on  the 
judgment  seat.  Cowardice  laughs  and  wins.  A 
sharp  fling  brings  a  cry  of  allegiance  to  Ciesar 
from  their  reluctant  throats,  as  their  hatred  wins 
the  day.  He  strikes  them  back  an  ugly  blow  as 
He  surrenders.  That  reluctant  Csesar  cry  told 
out  the  intensity  of  their  hate.  They  hated  Csesar 
much,  but  they  hated  Jesus  immeasurably  more. 
They  gulp  down  Caesar  to  be  able  to  vent  their 
spleen  upon  Jesus. 

And  so  they  crucified  Him.  At  last  they  suc- 
ceed. They  have  gotten  what  they  were  bent  on. 
The  hate  burning  within,  these  months  and  years, 


226      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

finds  its  full  vent.  Its  hateful  worst  is  done,  and 
horribly  well  done.  And  they  stand  about  the 
cross  with  unconcealed  gloating  in  pose  and 
face  and  speech  and  eyes.  Their  part  of  the 
story  is  done. 

Masterful  Dying. 

But  Jesus'  part — ah  !  that  was  just  begun. 
John  lays  emphasis  on  the  mastery  of  Jesus  here. 
It  is  marked,  and  reveals  to  John's  faithful  love- 
opened  eyes  the  dominating  purpose  of  Jesus  in 
yielding  to  death.  Strong,  thoughtful,  self-con- 
trolled, anticipating  every  move,  He  was  using 
all  the  strength  of  His  great  strong  will  in  yield  - 
ing.     He  was  doing  it  masterfully,  intelligently. 

This  is  marked  throughout.  At  the  arrest  He 
walks  frankly  out  to  meet  those  seeking  Him, 
and  restrains  them  in  that  strangely  powerful 
way  till  He  was  quite  ready.  He  makes  the  per- 
sonal plea  to  Pilate  for  Pilate' a  sake,  impressing 
him  so  greatly,  but  interposing  nothing  to  change 
the  purpose  of  His  accusers.  When  Pilate's  final 
decision  is  given  John  notes  that  Jesus  "went 
out  hearing  the  cross  for  Himself^  ^  though  pro- 
vision had  been  made  for  this.^  His  influence 
upon  Pilate  is  seen  in  the  accuracy  of  the  kingly 
inscription  that  hangs  over  the  cross.  In  the 
midst  of  the  excruciating  bodily  pain  He  thinks 
of  His  mother,  and  with  marvellous  self-control 
speaks  the  quiet  word  to  her  and  to  John  that 
insures  her  future  under  his  filial  care. 

^  Matthew  zxvii.  32  and  parallels. 


The  Greatest  Wooing  227 

And  then  John  significantly  adds,  ^^Jesus^ 
knowing  that  all  things  are  now  finished.^ ^  *  With 
masterly  forethought,  and  self-control  and  delib- 
eration He  had  done  the  thing  He  had  set  Him- 
self to  do.  Never  was  yielding  so  masterful. 
Never  was  a  great  plan  carried  out  so  fully 
through  the  set  purpose  of  one's  enemies.  His 
every  action  bears  out  the  word  He  had  spoken, 
*'  No  man  taketh  My  life  away  from  Me,  I  lay 
it  down  of  Myself."' 

So  now  His  great  work  is  done,  and  thoroughly 
done.  His  lips  speak  the  tremendous  word,  '*It 
is  finished."  And  He  bowed  His  head  and  gave 
up  His  spirit.  It  was  His  own  act.  The  self-re- 
straint was  strong  upon  Him  till  all  was  done 
that  was  needed  for  the  great  purpose  in  hand. 
Then  His  head  is  bowed,  His  great  heart  broke 
under  the  terrific  strain  on  His  spirit  as  He 
allowed  His  life  to  go  out. 

From  that  moment  no  indignity  touches  His 
body.  The  Jews  with  their  wearisome  insistence 
on  empty  technicalities  would  have  added  further 
indignity  to  crucifixion.  But  that  body  is  sa- 
credly guarded  from  their  profane  hand  by  un- 
seen restraint.  John  with  solemn  simplicity 
points  to  the  unmistakable  physical  evidence,  in 
the  separation  of  blood  and  water,  that  Jesus  had 
actually  died  ;  no  swooning,  but  death.  And 
reverently  he  finds  the  confirmation  of  Scripture. 

Only  tender  love  touches  that  body  now.  Two 
gentlemen  of  highest  official  and  social  standing 
and  of  large  wealth,  brothers  in  their  faith  in 

»xix.  28.  «x.  17-18. 


228      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

Jesus,  and  also  in  their  timidity,  now  take  steps 
at  ouce  to  have  the  precious  body  of  their  dear 
friend  tenderly  cared  for  without  regard  to  ex- 
pense. So  He  is  laid  away  in  a  new  tomb  in  a 
garden  among  the  flowers  of  the  spring  time. 
The  last  touch  is  oue  of  tender  love.  So  His 
greatest  wooing  was  done,  and  begun  ;  the  great 
act  done,  its  tremendous  wooing  influence  only 
just  begun. 

Jesus  died  deliberately.  This  is  quite  clear. 
It  was  done  of  love  aforethought.  It  was  His 
own  act  fitted  into  the  circumstances  surrounding 
Him.  This  makes  His  death  mean  just  what  He 
meant  it  to  mean.  Eun  back  through  His  teach- 
ings rather  carefully  and  that  meaning  stands 
clearly  out. 

He  was  the  Father's  messenger ;  simply  this ; 
but  all  of  this.  The  ideals  of  right  so  insistently 
and  incessantly  held  up  and  pressed  were  the 
Father's  ideals.  His  mere  presence  told  the 
Father's  great  love  for  men.  They  two  were  so 
knit  that  when  the  one  suffered  the  other  suf- 
fered, too. 

It  was  the  love  for  men  in  His  own  heart  that 
drew  Him  down  here  and  drove  Him  along  even 
to  the  Calvary  Hill.  He  died /or  men,  in  their 
place,  on  their  behalf.  This  was  His  one 
thought.  Through  this  their  bondage  to  sin  and 
to  Satan  would  be  broken  and  they  would  be  set 
free.^  And  they  would  be  drawn,  their  hearts 
would  be  utterly  melted  and  broken  by  His  love 
for  them.''    The  influence  would  reach  out  until 

» viii  31-32,  34-36.  »xii.  32. 


The  Greatest  Wooing  229 

all  the  race  would  feel  its  power  and  respond ; 
and  it  would  reach  into  each  one's  life  who  came 
till  the  life  he  lived  was  of  the  abundant,  eternal 

sort 

The  devil  was  a  real  personality  to  Jesus. 
This  whole  terrific  struggle  ending  at  the  cross 
was  a  direct  spirit-battle  with  that  great  spirit 
prince.  So  Jesus  understood  it.  All  the  bitter 
eumity  to  Himself  traces  straight  back  to  that 
source.  That  enmity  found  its  worst  expression 
in  Jesus'  death.  The  pitched  spirit-battle  was 
there  But  that  prince  was  judged,  condemned, 
utterly  defeated  and  cast  out  in  that  battle,  and 
his  hold  upon  men  broken.^ 

And  so  this  was  the  greatest  wooing  of  all.  it 
was  greatest  in  its  intensity  of  meaning  to  the 
Father  looking  eagerly  down.  It  revealed  His 
unbending,  unflinching  ideals  of  right,  and  the 
great  strength  and  tenderness  of  His  love  for 
men.  He  would  even  give  His  Son  It  was 
greatest  in  its  intensity  of  meaning  to  the  Son.  it 
meant  the  utmost  of  suffering  ever  endured,  the 
utmost  of  love  underneath  ever  revealed ;  and  it 
would  mean  the  race-wide  sweep  of  His  gracious 

^Tt^  was  greatest  in  its  intensity  of  meaning  to 
Satan,  the  hater  of  God  and  man.  It  told  his  ut- 
ter defeat,  and  loss  of  power  over  man  So  it 
broke  our  bonds  and  made  us  free  to  yield  to  the 
wooing.  And  it  was  greatest  in  its  intensity  of 
meaning  to  us  men.  For  it  showed  to  our  con- 
»Some  references  for  this  whole  paragraph, -viii.  44; 
xii.  31 ;  xiii-  2.  27 ;  xiv.  30  ;  xvi.  11. 


230      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

fused  eyes  the  one  ideal  of  right  standing  out 
clear  and  full.  It  set  us  free  from  the  fetters  of 
our  bondage,  gave  us  the  tremendous  incentive 
of  love  to  reach  up  to  the  ideal  of  right,  and 
more,  immensely  more,  gave  us  poicer  to  reach  it. 

It  was  the  greatest  wooing  in  the  out-reach  of 
its  influence,  for  all  men  of  all  the  earth  would 
be  touched.'  And  it  was  greatest  in  the  in-reach 
to  all  the  life  of  each  one  who  came  under  its 
blessed  influence.  The  whole  ministry  taught 
this.  It  would  mean  newness  of  life  in  body,  in 
mind,  in  social  nature,  in  spirit,  and  in  the 
eternal  quality  of  life  lived  here,  and  to  be  lived 
without  any  ending. 

And  all  the  world  has  responded  to  this  great- 
est wooing  as  they  have  come  to  know  of  it. 
That  three-languaged  inscription  on  the  cross  was 
a  world  appeal  and  a  world  prophecy.  In  Hebrew 
the  religious  language  of  the  world  whose  litera- 
ture told  of  the  one  true  God,  in  Latin  the  lan- 
guage of  the  masters  of  the  world,  in  Greek  the 
language  of  the  culture  of  the  world,  that  mes- 
sage went  out  to  all  the  world.  This  Jesus  is  our 
Kinsman-King,  our  Brother-Euler,  our  Love- 
Autocrat.  He  revealed  His  love  for  us  in  His 
death  for  us. 

And  men  answer  to  Jesus'  great  plea.  With 
flooded  eyes  and  broken  hearts,  and  bending 
wills,  and  changed  lives,  men  of  all  the  race  bow 
gratefully  at  the  feet  of  Jesus,  our  Saviour  and 
Lord  and  coming  King. 

»x.  16;xii.  32;xvii.  20. 


VI 


^N  APPOINTED  TRYST  UNEX- 
PECTEDLY KEPT 

A  Day  of  Startling  Joyous  Surprises 


"  Halts  by  me  that  footfall : 
Is  my  gloom,  after  all, 
Shade  of  His  hand  outstretched  caressingly? 
«  Ah,  fondest,  blindest,  weakest, 
I  am  He  whom  thou  seekest ! 
Thou  dravest  love  from  thee,  who  dravest  Me*  " 

— "  The  Hound  of  Heaven.** 

"  After  I  am  raised  up  I  will  go  before  you  into 
Galilee." — Mark  xiv,  28. 


VI 

AN  APPOINTED  TRYST  UNEX- 
PECTEDLY  KEPT 

(Johu  XX.) 

The  Appointment. 

Jesus  had  made  an  appointment.  It  was  with 
these  dear  friends  who  had  responded  so  lovingly 
to  His  wooing.  It  was  a  significant  appointment, 
most  significant.  He  had  appointed  to  meet  them 
three  days  after  His  death.  He  had  made  a 
further  appointment  to  meet  them  in  Galilee. 
What  a  stupendous  appointment  to  make  ! 

It  was  a  sacred  appointment,  sacred  as  the  love 
that  made  it,  sacred  to  Jesus  as  the  friendship  of 
these  men  with  whom  it  was  made,  sacred  as  His 
word  that  never  was  broken.  Our  Scottish 
friends  use  a  most  significant  word  for  aj)point- 
ment,  the  word  tryst.  They  used  to  use  it  some 
for  ordinary  appointments,  but  chiefly  it  is  used 
for  friendship  and  for  love-appointments.  The 
appointmeut  is  a  tryst. 

Tryst  is  the  same  word  as  trust.  In  the  old 
Gothic  language  it  was  one  of  the  words  used  for 
a  covenant  or  treaty.  In  medieval  Latin  it  was  a 
pledge  given  that  an  agreement  would  be  kept. 
It  is  a  fine  turn  of  a  word  that  uses  the  very 

a?3 


234      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

spirit  of  confidence  in  one's  heart  in  another  as 
the  name  for  the  appointment  made  with  him. 
The  trust  in  the  heart  gives  the  name  to  the  ap- 
pointment. It's  an  appointment  with  one  who 
can  be  trusted  to  keep  his  word,  and  who  is 
trusted. 

So  an  appointed  tryst  becomes  more  than  a 
mere  appointment.  It  is  a  pledge  of  faith. 
Now  this  is  the  real  force  of  the  word  here. 
Jesus  had  appointed  a  tryst  with  these  men,  and 
in  making  it  He  was  plighting  His  troth,  pledg- 
ing His  word  to  them.  He  had  asked  them  to 
risk  all  for  Him.  In  this  tryst  He  is  pledging  all 
to  them. 

He  never  forgot  that  sacred  appointment.  He 
had  thought  much  before  He  made  it.  He  knew 
it  would  involve  much  to  keep  it.  The  power  of 
God  was  at  stake  in  the  making  and  the  keeping 
of  it.  He  knew  that.  He  thought  of  it.  He 
made  the  appointment  and  He  kept  it.  Jesus 
keeps  His  appointments.  His  word  never  fails. 
Not  even  the  gates  of  death,  nor  the  power  of  the 
evil  one,  can  prevail  against  it. 

This  was  a  staggering  appointment.  It  took  so 
much  for  granted.  It  reckons  God's  power  is  as 
big  as  it  is.  But  then  that's  a  way  Jesus  had, 
and  has.  And  it  is  a  way  he  will  come  to  have 
who  companions  much  with  Jesus. 

Jesus  had  spoken  of  this  indirectly  but  dis- 
tinctly when  first  He  told  His  disciples  of  His 
suffering  and  death,  six  months  before.  And 
each  time  afterwards  when  He  told  them  of  His 
death  the  words  were  always  added,  ''and  the 


A  Tryst  Unexpectedly  Kept       235 

third  day  rise  again."  ^  The  two  things  are 
nearly  always  linked.  But  they  hadn't  seemed 
to  sense  what  He  meant.  The  thing  seems  quite 
beyond  them. 

He  spoke  of  it  again  on  that  never-to-be-for- 
gotten night  of  the  betrayal,  the  night  of  the  feet- 
washing,  and  that  last  long  talk,  and  that 
wondrous  Kidron-prayer.  He  spoke  of  it  more 
than  once  that  night. 

It  was  a  very  emphatic  word  He  spoke  as  they 
were  walking  along  the  darkly  shadowed  Jeru- 
salem streets  out  towards  the  east  gate.  He  said, 
*'  a  little  while  and  ye  shall  behold  Me  no  more  ; 
and  again  a  little  while  and  ye  shall  see  Me. '"^ 
And  the  disciples  pick  this  up  and  puzzle  over  it. 

And  the  Master  explains  rather  carefully  and 
at  some  length.  There  was  a  time  of  sore  trouble 
coming  for  Him  and  for  them.  And  while  they 
were  sorrowing  the  outer  crowd  would  be  making 
merry.  But  it  would  be  just  as  with  the  expect- 
ant mother,  He  said.  All  the  while  even  when 
the  pains  cut  she  is  thinking  of  the  great  delight 
that  is  to  be  hers.  Her  after -joy  clean  wipes  out 
of  her  thought  the  sharp  cutting  of  the  pain. 

So  it  would  be.  ''J  ivill  see  you  again,^''  He 
said  in  plainest  speech.  And  again  that  same 
night  He  said,  ''after  I  am  raised  up,  I  will  go 
before  you  into  Galilee.''^  Could  any  appointment 
be  more  explicit  as  to  time  and  place  ? 

But  they  forget.  Aye,  there's  the  bother,  this 
thing  of  forgetting.     The  memory  is  ever  the 

»  Matthew  xvi.  21 ;  xvii.  9,  23 ;  xx.  19  ;  Mark  viii,  31 ;  ix. 
31;  X.  34  ;  Luke  ix.  22  ;  xviii.  33.  *  xvi.  16. 


236      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

index  of  the  heart  and  the  will  and  the  under- 
standing. You  can  tell  the  one  by  the  other. 
Some  things  are  never  forgot.  A  bit  embarrass- 
ing and  odd  this  thing  of  forgetting  what  Jesus 
says. 

His  enemies  remembered,  and  took  special 
pains  to  head  off  any  breaking  of  their  careful 
plans.  ^  And  even  when  the  angels  remind  the 
women  of  the  promised  appointment,  and  they 
with  great  joy  repeat  the  reminder  to  the  dis- 
ciples, it  seems  like  '■''idle  talk^^  and  is  not  ac- 
cepted. The  thing  couldn't  be,  they  think.'* 
Finally  the  evidence  becomes  so  convincing  that 
they  start  off  for  the  trysting  place,  "into  Galilee, 
unto  the  mountain  where  Jesus  had  appointed 
them."' 

How  the  Appointment  Was  Kept. 

Let  us  look  a  bit  at  the  wonderful  keeping,  so 
unexpected,  of  this  sacred  tryst.  It's  the  third 
day  now  since  Jesus'  death.  It  is  in  the  dark 
dusk  of  the  early  morning.  A  little  knot  of 
women  make  their  way  slowly  along  the  road 
leading  out  of  the  city  gate.  Mary  Magdalene  is 
in  the  lead,  so  far  ahead  of  the  others  as  to  be 
alone.  They  are  carrying  packages  of  perfumed 
ointments.  They  are  thinking  only  of  a  dear 
dead  body  and  of  clinging  fragrant  memories. 

They  are  troubling  themselves  about  how  to 
get  the  big  stone  at  the  tomb  pushed  aside.     It 

*  Matthew  xxvii.  63.      ^  Mark  xvi.  6-7 ;  Luke  xxiv.  6-11. 
'  Matthew  xxviii.  16. 


A  Tryst  Unexpectedly  Kept       237 

was  too  much  for  their  strength.  As  she  drew 
near  the  tomb  Mary  Magdalene's  love-quickened 
eyes  notice  something  quite  unexpected.  The 
stone  is  moved  aside  !  She  naturally  thinks 
some  one  has  taken  the  body  secretly  away  in 
the  night. 

Quickly  she  turns  and  runs  back  towards  the 
city  to  tell  Peter  and  John.  And  as  quickly  as 
they  hear  the  startling  news  they  are  off  on  a 
smart  run  towards  the  tomb.  Meanwhile  the 
other  women  go  on  into  the  tomb.  They  are 
further  startled  to  see  a  glorious  looking  person 
who  assures  them  that  Jesus  is  living,  having 
risen  up  out  of  death.  All  a-quiver  with  fear 
intermingled  with  the  first  glimmering  light  of  a 
great  hope  that  they  hardly  dare  hope,  they  flee 
hastily  back  to  town  to  tell  the  others. 

Now  Peter  and  John,  who  have  been  eagerly 
running,  arrive  breathless,  with  John  in  the  lead. 
Gazing  reverently,  intently,  in  through  the  open- 
ing John  sees,  not  a  body,  but  on  the  spot  where 
the  body  had  been  laid,  the  linen  wrappings 
lying,  held  up  in  the  shape  of  a  body  by 
Nicodemus'  abundant  and  heavy  ointments  just 
as  when  they  held  the  body  of  Jesus.  But  clearly 
there  is  nothing  in  them  now. 

Now  Peter  comes  up,  and,  just  like  him,  goes 
straight  in,  and  is  at  once  struck  by  the  arrange- 
ment of  these  cloths,  just  as  John  had  been. 
Then  they  comment  on  the  fact  that  the  head 
cloths  are  lying  where  they  naturally  would  be, 
a  little  apart  from  the  others,  the  distance  of  the 
head  from  the  body. 


238      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

The  evidence  convinces  them  that  Jesus*  spirit 
had  indeed  returned  to  His  body,  and  that  He 
had  risen  up  through  the  cloths^  and  gone.  And 
they  start  back  to  town  in  a  great  maze  of  wonder 
and  delight. 

And  now  Mary  Magdalene,  knowing  nothing 
of  all  this,  comes  slowly  back  absorbed  with  her 
thoughts  that  the  body  has  been  secretly  removed. 
She  stands  at  the  open  tomb  weeping.  Then  for 
the  first  time  she  stoops  down  and  looks  in.  She 
is  startled  to  see  two  angels  left  there  to  explain 
matters. 

They  gently  say  *'  Why  weepest  thou  %  "  Still 
sobbing,  she  says,  "  They  have  taken  away  my 
Lord,  and  I  know  not  where  they  have  laid 
Him."  And  turning  aside  as  she  speaks  she  sees 
some  One  standing  near  her.  Her  tear-misted 
eyes  think  Him  the  attendant  in  charge  of  the 
garden.  Again  the  question  by  this  man,  "  Why 
weepest  thou  ? ' '  How  strangely  they  talk,  these 
angels  and  this  gardener  !  She  makes  a  plea  for 
the  body. 

Then  the  one  word,  her  name,  spoken  in  that 
voice  she  knew  so  well — "ilfar^/."  Ah  !  there's 
no  question  about  that  voice.  She  needs  no  ex- 
planation nor  evidence  more  than  this,  as  she 
cries  out,  ^*Oh,  my  beloved  Master."  Then  He 
acts  so  like  Himself ;  He  gives  her  an  errand  to 
do  for  Him.  And  off  she  goes.  She  has  had  the 
wondrous  privilege  of  the  first  sight  of  Him,  and 
the  first  errand  for  Him.  The  tryst  has  been 
kept  with  Mary  Magdalene. 

And    now  the   other  women  who  had  gone 


A  Tryst  Unexpectedly  Kept       239 

running  down  the  road  after  hearing  the  angels' 
startling  message  are  amazed  to  meet  Jesus 
standing  in  the  roadway  in  front  of  them.  And 
the  same  quiet  rich  voice  so  gently  and  simply 
gives  them  the  usual  "good-morning"  saluta- 
tion. At  once  they  are  on  their  knees  at  His 
feet.  And  He  softly  says,  "Don't  be  afraid. 
Go  tell  My  brethren  to  meet  Me  at  the  old  place 
appointed,  up  by  the  blue  waters  of  Galilee." 
And  again  the  tryst  is  kept. 

But  before  all  this,  the  soldiers  on  guard, 
terror-stricken  by  the  earthquake  that  had  taken 
place,  and  dazed  at  the  sight  of  the  "angel  of 
the  Lord  "  had  fled  at  top  speed  to  the  chief 
priests  with  their  startling  story.  Here  was  a 
wholly  unexpected  bothersome  finish  to  the  thing. 
But  quick  consultation  follows.  And  then  free 
use  of  money  makes  the  soldiers  willing  to  tell 
what  they  know  to  be  a  lie.  And  so  the  two 
utterly  different  stories,  the  truth  and  the  lie, 
get  into  circulation  at  once.  The  soldiers  and 
the  chief  priests'  circle  have  learned  that  the  ap- 
pointment was  kept. 

Meanwhile  Peter  has  gone  down  the  road  back 
to  town  in  a  maze  of  conflicting  emotions.  John, 
lighter  of  foot,  had  hurried  ahead,  very  likely  to 
tell  the  great  news  to  Jesus'  mother,  now  his  own. 
Peter  plods  slowly  along,  thinking  hard.  It  was 
still  early  morning,  the  air  so  still  and  fragrant 
with  the  dew.  Maybe  down  by  some  big  trees  he 
is  walking,  absorbed,  when  all  at  once,  sovie  One 
is  by  his  side.  It's  the  Master.  The  appointment 
has  been  kept  with  Peter.     But  we  must  leave 


240      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

them  alone  together.  Peter  has  some  things  to 
straighten  out.  That's  a  sacred  interview  meant 
only  for  him. 

That  afternoon  two  disciples  walking  out  to  a 
little  village  a  few  miles  away  are  joined  by  a 
Stranger  whose  talk  makes  their  hearts  burn  like 
the  Master's  used  to.  And  as  they  gather  about 
the  evening  meal  with  Him,  and  He  gives  thanks 
and  breaks  the  loaf,  all  at  once  their  eyes  see.  It 
is  Jesus  Himself  who  has  been  with  them  all  the 
time.     Again  the  appointment  is  kept. 

At  once  they  hasten  back  to  town,  and  are  just 
telling  the  news  in  joyously  broken  speech  to  the 
discij)les  gathered  in  an  upper  room  with  locked 
doors  when  again,  all  at  once,  Jesus  appears  in 
their  midst,  and  eats  some  bread  and  fish,  and 
tells  them  to  know  by  the  feel  that  it  is  really 
Himself  with  them.  He  has  kept  His  sacred  ap- 
pointment with  the  Twelve.  Then  a  week  later 
He  comes  in  like  manner  among  them  again  for 
the  sake  of  one  man,  Thomas.  So  He  keeps  the 
appointment  with  Thomas,  also. 

Our  Guarantee  of  His  Promises. 

Two  things  stand  out  sharply.  The  resurrec- 
tion was  not  expected.  It  was  the  most  tremen- 
dous surprise.  The  news  was  received  at  first  by 
those  most  interested  with  utter  stubborn  unbe- 
lief. Then  the  evidence  was  so  clear  and  repeated, 
and  incontestable  that  these  same  men  staked 
their  lives  on  it.  They  suffered  to  the  extreme 
for  their  witness  that  Jesus  had  indeed  risen. 


A  Tryst  Unexpectedly  Kept       241 

Jesus  rose  from  the  dead.  His  body  was  re 
inhabited  by  His  spirit.  The  spirit  didn't  die. 
Spirits  neither  sleep  nor  die.  The  body  died. 
Then  life  came  into  it  again.  It  was  a  real  body 
that  could  eat  and  be  touched.  It  was  recog- 
nized as  the  same  one  they  had  known.  But  it 
was  changed.  The  old  limitations  were  gone. 
New  powers  had  come. 

Jesus  keeps  His  appointments.  His  pledged 
word  never  fails.  Not  a  word  He  has  spoken  can 
ever  be  broken.  Some  day  He  is  coming  back. 
It  is  an  appointment.'  Then  we,  too,  who  have 
slipped  the  tether  of  life  and  left  our  bodies  tem- 
porarily in  the  dust,  shall  rise  up  again  to  meet 
Him.  It  is  a  sacred  appointment  He  has  made 
with  us. 

And  some  of  us  who  live  in  that  day  shall  be 
changed  instead  of  dying,  and  shall  be  caught  up 
to  meet  Him  and  our  own  loved  ones  in  the  air. 
That's  His  true  tryst  with  us  up  in  the  blue,  some 
day.     And  He  will  keep  it. 

And  meanwhile  everything  He  has  promised  us 
in  the  Book  is  sure,  as  being  His  plighted  word. 
His  resurrection  is  our  bond,  our  guarantee.  As 
surely  as  He  rose  on  that  third  morning  He  will 
keep  His  word  regarding  every  matter  to  you 
and  me. 

His  appointments  never  fail,  whether  of  guid- 
ance, of  bodily  health  and  strength,  of  supplies 
for  every  sort  of  need,  of  peace,  of  power,  of  vic- 
tory. The  power  that  raised  Jesus  up  from  out 
the  dead  is  pledged  to  us  for  every  promise  of  this 
'  John  xiv.  3,  and  others. 


242      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

Book  for  to-day's  life.  He  will  do  an  act  of  crea- 
tion before  He  will  let  His  Word  fail.  He  will 
leave  no  power  unused  to  keep  the  appointment 
of  His  Word  with  us. 

Let  us  trust  His  Word  to  us  fully.    And  let 
us  live  our  trust. 


VII 

ANOTHER  TRYST 

A  Story  of  Fishmg,  of  Guests  at  Breakfast, 
and  of  a  Walk  and  Talk  by  the  Edge  of 
Blue  Galilee 


••  I  come  unto  you." — John  xiv.  i8.  ^ 

"  Lo,  I  am  with  you  all  the  days." — Matthew  xxviii,  SO, 


VII 
ANOTHER  TRYST 

(John  zxi.) 

lesus  Unrecognised. 

John's  story  is  done.  And  it  is  well  done. 
With  the  skill  of  a  tried  jurist  he  has  drawn  up  a 
clear  full  line  of  evidence  and  presented  it  in  a 
vigorous  straightforward  way.  And  he  plainly 
states  his  case.  His  whole  purpose  is  that  those 
who  read  his  little  book  shall  come  into  warm 
personal  touch  of  life  with  the  Lord  Jesus.  That 
ties  the  knot  on  tight  at  the  end  of  chapter 
twenty.  John's  case  has  gone  to  the  jury  of  his 
readers. 

But  now  John  reaches  for  his  pen  again.  The 
guiding  Spirit  has  put  another  bit  into  his  heart 
to  write  down.  This  time  it  is  a  special  bit,  not 
for  all  to  whom  the  book  is  sent,  but  for  a  se- 
lected class  of  his  readers,  namely,  for  those  of 
them  who  have  given  John  a  favourable  verdict 
on  the  evidence  presented.  It  grows  out  of 
chapter  xx.  31  as  rose  out  of  bud,  and  fruit  out 
of  blossom.  It  is  for  those  who  "believe  that 
Jesus  is  the  Christ  the  Sou  of  God,"  and  so  "  have 
life  in  His  Name. " 

And  a  very  tender  precious  bit  it  is,  more  won- 
drous in  its  sheer  simplicity  than  any  of  us  seem 
245 


246      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

to  suspect.  It  is  simply  this  :  this  Jesus  is  toith  iia 
all  the  time.  This  same  Jesus  who  was  so  swayed 
by  the  need  of  the  crowd,  who  burned  His  life 
out  day  by  day  warmly  responding  to  their  sore 
need — Se  is  here. 

This  Jesus  who  fed  the  hungry,  healed  the  sick 
of  every  sort,  and  freed  men  from  devilish  power, 
who  convicted  men  so  tremendously  of  their 
wrong,  restrained  their  evil  power  to  hurt,  wooed 
the  hearts  of  all  so  irresistibly,  and  led  them  into 
changed  lives  ;  this  Jesus  who  died  and  then  did 
the  stupendously  mighty  thing  of  rising  up  out 
of  death, — this  Jesus  is  with  us  now  by  your  side 
and  mine. 

And  He  is  just  the  same  Jesus  in  His  warm 
love  and  resistless  power.  The  words  are  rather 
familiar.  The  fact — no  one  of  us  seems  to  have 
gotten  hold  of  it  yet.  This  is  the  thing  that 
makes  John  eagerly  reach  for  his  pen  again  be- 
fore his  little  book- messenger  goes  out  on  its 
errand. 

The  thing  isn't  new  in  information,  but  in 
actual  living  experience  it  seems  to  be  so  new  as 
to  be  an  unknown  thing  to  some  of  us.  The 
Master  had  spoken  of  this  that  betrayal-night 
.  around  the  supper  board.  It  was  really  a  con-* 
tiuuation  of  that  trysting  appointment  He  had 
made  with  them  that  evening,  a  wonderful  con- 
tinuation. 

Clearly  they  didn't  understand  Him  that  night. 
But  during  those  after-Pentecost  days  they  were 
given  a  continuous  graphic  unforgetable  illustra- 
tion of  its  meaning.     We  to-day  seem  able  to  ex- 


Another  Tryst  247 

plain  the  part  they  didn't  understand,  the  teach- 
ing that  betrayal-night.  We  don't  seem  to  get 
hold  of  the  part  they  did  understand  and  ex- 
perience, the  real  presence  of  the  risen  Jesus  in 
the  midst  actively  at  work. 

That  night  Jesus  said:  '*I  will  make  request 
of  the  Father,  and  He  will  send  you  another  un- 
failing powerful  Friend  to  be  always  at  your 
side."  Then  He  added:  "He  abides  laith  you 
now  (in  My  presence)  and  shall  be  in  you  (after 
I  send  Him)."  Then  He  said,  "7  come  unto 
you.  Yet  a  little  while  and  the  world  seeth  Me 
no  more  but  ye  see  Me." 

And  again,  ' '  He  that  hath  My  commandments 
and  keepeth  them  he  it  is  that  (in  that  sheweth 
that  he)  loveth  Me  and  ...  I  will  manifest 
or  sheio  Myself  unto  him."  Here  is  the  simple 
teaching  :  He  would  send  the  Holy  Spirit ;  in  the 
Holy  Spirit's  coming  Jesus  Himself,  the  new 
risen  exalted  empowered  enthroned  Jesus,  He 
came  ;  and  He  would  let  them  see  Himself  with 
them. 

Now  this  added  chapter  of  John's  is  the  illustra- 
tion in  advance  to  these  men  of  what  these  words 
mean.  The  great  sU.inding  illustration  is  that  Book 
of  Acts  which,  will  you  notice,  doesn't  end.  It 
only  breaks  off,  abruptly,  without  even  a  punc- 
tuation point.  It  wasn't  meant  to  end.  We  are 
supposed  to  be  living  in  it  yet.  But  these  men 
haven't  come  to  the  experience  of  the  Pentecostal 
Acts  yet.  This  is  an  illustration  in  advance  to 
them.  And  it  remains  an  illustration  to  us  0/ 
what  we  seem  a  bit  slow  in  taking  in. 


248      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

But  let  US  get  at  the  simple  bit  of  story  itself. 
There's  a  little  group  of  the  inner  circle,  seven 
including  the  leaders.  These  men  haven't  found 
their  feet  yet.  The  stupendous  events  of  those 
days,  coming  in  such  startling  succession,  have 
left  them  dazed.  The  crucifixion  left  them  stu- 
pidly dazed  ;  the  resurrection  left  them  joyous, 
but  still  dazed.  They  don't  know  just  where 
they  are,  nor  what  to  do.^ 

So  Peter  proposes  fishing  ;  an  ideal  proposi- 
tion, when  you  want  to  get  off  and  think  things 
through  and  out.  Any  fisherman  knows  that. 
And  the  others  readily  join  in.  They  see  the 
good  sense  of  it.  But  the  fish  don't  catch.  And 
the  morning  finds  them  tired  in  body  and  more 
tired  in  the  spiritless  uncertainty  that  hangs  over 
them  like  a  clinging  damp  fog. 

Yonder  is  some  One  standing  on  the  beach. 
But  that's  nothing  unusual.  They  barely  notice 
Him.  And  now  this  Stranger  calls  out  to  them 
a  cheery  common  question,  "  Caught  anything  ?  " 
And  now  He  gives  a — no,  it  can  hardly  be  called 
a  command,  so  quietly  is  it  said.  Yet  they  are 
subtly  conscious  of  a  something  in  the  word  that 
makes  them  obey,  though  it's  the  last  sort  of 
thing  to  do. 

And  now  at  once  the  net-ropes  pull  so  hard  ; 
astonishing  this  !  Then  John's  keen  spirit  de- 
tects Who  it  is.  Is  he  thiuking  of  the  other  big 
unexpected  haul  in  those  same  waters?'  And 
Peter's  over  the  side  of  the  boat  shoreward. 
Fishing  has  lost  all  attraction  for  him. 
» Luke  V.  1-11. 


Another  Tryst  249 

And  when  they  all  got  ashore  with  their  haul, 
tired,  wet,  chilled  to  the  marrow,  hungry,  what's 
this?  A  blazing  fire  of  coals  burning  cheerfully 
on  the  sands.  And  some  fish  dexterously  poised, 
doing  to  a  brown  turn,  and  some  bread.  And 
the  Stranger,  no,  Jesus^  He's  no  longer  a  stranger, 
Jesus  says  quietly,  ''Boys,  better  bring  the  haul 
up  on  the  beach." 

And  the  old  fishing  habit  still  strong  on  them 
counts  the  fish.  It's  such  an  unusual  haul,  they 
must  know  how  many.  John  must  be  thinking 
again  about  that  earlier  haul.  The  net  couldn't 
stand  the  strain  then.  But  now  it's  di£ferent. 
Ah  !  euer?/thiug's  blessedly  different  now.  "  The 
net  was  not  rent." 

Then  the  gracious  call  to  breakfast  by  their 
Host.  Was  ever  fish  done  to  such  a  fine  turn  ? 
Did  ever  any  fish  have  such  an  exquisite  flavour  ? 
or  taste  so  good  ?  Did  ever  men  eat  so  gladly 
and  yet  quietly  with  a  distinct  touch  of  awe  iu 
their  spirits?^  For  they  know  it  is  the  Master, 
though  no  word  of  that  has  been  spoken.  Words 
were  needless. 

Now  they're  walking  along  the  beach,  Jesus 
and  Peter  iu  the  lead  but  the  others  quite  near. 
And  there's  the  bit  of  talk  between  the  two. 
Very  gently  Jesus  says,  "Do  you  love  Me,  Peter  1 ' ' 
And  Peter  feels  he  hardly  dare  use  the  sacred 
word  for  "  love  "  that  the  Master  has  used.  He 
had  made  such  an  awful  break  at  just  that  point. 
And  with  breaking  voice  he  says,  "Yea,  Lord, 
Thou  knowest  I  have  the  highest  regard  for 
Thee." 


250      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

And  again  the  question,  and  the  answer,  with 
Peter  still  humbly  clinging  to  his  more  modest 
word.  And  now  Jesus  says,  "  Do  you  really  love 
Me  even  as  you  yourself  say  ? ''  And  Peter  with 
his  heart  in  his  face  says  passionately,  "■  Lord, 
Thou  knowest  better  than  I  can  tell  Thee. " 

And  because  he  loves,  Peter  is  given  the  full 
privilege  of  shepherding  the  whole  flock,  from 
feeding  little  lambkins  on  to  feeding  all,  and 
guiding,  through  the  hard  places,  even  the  way- 
ward ones.  And  more  yet  and  higher,  because 
Peter  loves,  he  will  be  privileged  to  suffer,  even 
as  his  Master  had  suffered.  The  fellowship  would 
extend  even  to  that. 

And  Peter's  eye  falls  on  John.  And  apparently 
he  is  thinking  of  the  contrast  between  John's  faith- 
fulness and  his  own  break  that  betrayal-night. 
If  poor  faulty  Peter  may  be  so  privileged  how 
John  would  be  rewarded.  But  Jesus  quietly 
turns  Peter,  and  all  Peter's  numerous  kinsfolk 
of  this  sort,  away  from  human  comparisons. 
And  instead  He  seeks  to  turn  their  hearts  to 
this :  He  is  coming  back  in  person  some  day  for 
an  advance  step  in  the  kingdom  program.  And 
there  they  are,  walking  and  talking,  along  the 
beach  by  the  blue  Galilean  waters. 

The  Same  Jesus  Here  Now. 


An  unrecognized  Stranger  who  turns  out  to  be 
Jesus  ;  an  unusual  haul  of  fish  gotten  in  a  very 
unusual  way  ;  a  warm  fire  and  tasty  breakfast 
for  cold  hungry  men ;  a  tender  talk  about  love 


Another  Tryst  251 

and  service  and  sacrifice,  and  about  Jesus'  re- 
turn ;— all  this  is  a  moving-picture  illustration 
of  the  meaning  of  a  word,  one  word. 

It  is  a  word  Jesus  used  in  that  last  long  quiet 
talk.  It's  the  key-word  to  this  added  chapter, 
occurring  three  times.  In  the  old  version  it  is 
the  word  "s/tew"  ;  in  the  revision  "manifest." 
<' After  these  things  Jesus  manifested  Himself 
again  ...  and  He  manifested  Himself  on 
this  wise."  "This  is  now  the  third  time  that 
Jesus  was  manifested  to  the  disciples  after  that 
He  was  risen  from  the  dead. "  * 

The  word  used  underneath  literally  means  '  to 
make  manifest  or  visible  or  know,  what  has  been 
hidden  or  unknown." '  Then  each  time  it  is  used 
it  gets  its  local  colouring  from  its  connection. 
The  simple  tremendous  meaning  here  clearly  is 
this  :  Jesus  let  Himself  he  seen  and  known.  He 
did  not  come.     He  was  there.  ■ 

But  their  eyes  couldn't  see  Him.  In  effect  He 
was  hidden,  not  seeable.  Now  the  change  that 
comes  is  this  :  He  is  seen.  And  He  is  seen  in  His 
true  native  character ;  so  certain  results  follow. 
He  had  said,  "I  will  manifest  Myself."^  And 
this  was  now  the  third  time  that  He  did  it,  to 
the  disciples,  after  that  He  was  risen. 

This  is  the  advance  illustration  of  the  Book  of 
Acts.  This  is  the  tremendous  thing  He  is  burn- 
ing into  their  hearts  through  eyes  and  ears  :— 
Se  is  always  present.  He,  whose  power  they  had 
felt  so  stupendously,  and  whose  warm  sympathy 
so  tenderly,  He  is  always  icith  them.  The  coming 
1  xxi.  1,  14.  '  So  Thayer.  »  xiv.  21,  1.  o. 


252      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

of  the  Holy  Spirit  meaut  just  this.  The  Spirit 
■would  be  as  Jesus'  other  self,  as  Jesus  Him- 
self The  oue  thing  the  Spirit  would  do 
would  be  to  manifest,  to  shew  openly,  the  power 
of  Jesus. 

Then  four  pictures  pass  before  their  eyes  to 
illustrate  the  meaning,  a  fishing  picture  and  a 
breakfast  picture  in  action  ;  then  in  toords,  a  love- 
service-sufferiug  picture,  and  a  picture  of  Jesus 
returning  in  person  seen  by  all  to  take  an  ad- 
vance-step. 

The  fishing  picture  clearly  meant  this  :  great 
numbers  of  people,  surprisingly  great  numbers, 
coming,  drawn  not  by  any  human  skill,  but  by 
the  supernatural  power  of  Jesus  manifesting  Him- 
self in  that  way.  The  breakfast  picture  meant 
this :  that  this  wondrous  Jesus  would  take 
tender  personal  care  of  those  in  this  blessed 
gathering  ministry,  even  to  their  bodily  needs 
and  strength. 

And  the  love-service-suffering  word-picture 
said  so  plainly  this  :  true  service  grows  out  of 
love.  The  chief  thing  is  the  loyal  tender  attach- 
ment to  the  person  of  Jesus.  Then  out  of  this 
will  naturally  come  service,  and  willingness  to 
suffer.  The  touchstone  won't  be  service  but 
personal  love.  The  service  will  simply  be  an 
expression  of  the  love. 

And  the  Jesus-return  word-picture  fills  their 
vision  with  this  same  Jesus  coming  in  open  glory 
before  all  eyes  to  carry  out  the  kingdom  plan. 
As  these  men  learned  to  live  always  in  the  pres* 
ence  of  a  Jesus  whom  their  outer  eyes  saw  not, 


Another  Tryst  253 

these  pictures  would  become  living  pictures  seen 
in  open  daily  life. 

So  this  is  a  further  bit  of  the  tryst  appointment. 
This  is  the  fuller  tryst,  the  greater,  the  yet  more 
wondrous  tryst.  Not  only  would  He  rise  up  out 
of  death,  and  appear  to  them  in  person  seen  by 
the  outer  eyes,  but  He  would  be  with  them  con- 
tinually manifesting  Himself  in  rarest  power  of 
action,  in  tenderest  personal  care,  in  talking  and 
walking  with  them. 

They  would  see  the  power  plainly  at  work  ; 
then  they  would  say  with  a  soft  hush,  "  He  is 
here."  They  would  find  new  bodily  strength, 
new  guidance  iu  perplexity,  new  peace  in  the 
midst  of  confusion,  and  they  would  say  to  each 
other  in  awed  tones,  "  He  is  here :  iVs  the  Master'' s 
touch, " 

And  so  it  would  come  to  be  a  habit  to  antici- 
pate His  presence.  They  would  figure  Him  in, 
and  figure  Him  in  big,  as  big  as  He  is,  iu  all  sorts 
of  circumstances  and  planning  and  meeting  of 
difficulties. 

It  is  most  striking  that  John  closes  his  Gospel 
so  differently  from  the  others.  They  close  with 
the  Master  rising  up  and  disappearing  on  a  cloud 
into  the  upper  blue.  John  closes  with  Jesus 
walking  along  the  beach,  talking  with  the  little 
group  of  trusted  ones.  Jesus  did  ascend  up  i  nto  the 
blue  whence  He  shall  some  day  descend.  But  the 
Holy  Spirit  sends  John  back  to  his  pen  to  give  us 
this  as  the  last  picture,  impressed  on  the  sensitive 
plate  of  the  eyes  of  our  heart.  This :  Jesus 
present  with  us  all  the  while  walking  along  the 


254      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

shore  of  our  common  round  of  life,  clotlied  with 
matchless  power,  and  devoting  Himself  to  us  aa 
we  to  Him. 

Along  about  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  cen- 
tury there  came  to  England  a  young  French- 
Swiss,  named  De  la  Flechere,  hungry  hearted  for 
the  truth.  He  was  so  helped  by  John  Wesley 
that  he  cast  in  his  lot  with  the  new  Methodist 
movement  and  John  Williams  Fletcher  became 
one  of  Wesley's  most  faithful  co-labourers.  Late 
in  life  he  married  a  woman  of  unusual  mental  and 
spiritual  attainment. 

I  ran  across  a  simple  story  over  there  of  this 
Mrs.  John  Fletcher  which  interested  and  helped 
me  much.  This  saintly  gifted  woman  told  of  a 
dream  which  came  to  her  with  such  vividness  as 
to  seem  to  her  mature  mind  more  than  a  common 
passing  vagary  of  sleep.  In  her  dream  she  was 
engaged  in  an  intense  struggle  with  an  evil  spirit. 
She  was  having  a  most  difficult  fight. 

She  noticed  some  one  standing  a  little  bit  to 
one  side  watching  the  fight  but  taking  no  active 
part  in  it.  The  fighting  became  so  intense  and 
her  strength  so  sorely  strained  that  she  was  on 
the  point  of  giving  up.  Then  this  one  came  over 
near  and  touched  her  gently  and  said.  "Be 
strong."  Instantly  a  wondrous  strength  came  to 
her  and  she  held  on. 

Again  the  evil  one  attacked  her  viciously.  She 
wondered  why  this  helping  friend  did  not  come 
to  her  assistance  in  the  fight.  Then  she  was 
moved  to  say  to  her  enemy,  ' '  Depart,  in  Jesus' 
Name.^''    And  instantly  he  fled.    And  she  was 


Another  Tryst  255 

free  and  victorious.  That  was  her  dream.  As 
she  awoke  there  came  to  her  the  most  real  sense 
of  the  presence  of  her  Lord. 

This  is  only  one  simple  illustration  from  life. 
I  have  run  across  many  of  the  same,  wholly  dif- 
ferent each  from  the  other,  but  each  emphasizing 
the  one  simple  tremendous  fact  of  the  constant 
presence  with  us  of  this  same  mighty  Jesus. 

It  is  of  keenest  help  to  mark  that  humanly  the 
initiative  of  action  is  in  our  hands.  The  fight  is 
ours.  We  decide  our  stand.  We  choose,  and  we 
bear  the  brunt  or  result  of  our  choice.  We  step 
out  as  the  need  comes.  Prayer  and  a  spirit 
of  humblest  dependence  on  Another  guides  our 
decision  and  action.  But  ice  take  the  action. 
The  initiative  is  ours. 

And  alivays  alongside  is  One  standing  close  up, 
putting  all  His  limitless  power  at  our  disposal,  in 
our  action.  All  He  did  in  living  and  dying  and 
rising  up  out  of  death  was  done  on  our  behalf. 
And  now  all  the  tremendous  result  of  His  victory 
is  at  our  command.  All  the  power  native  in 
Him  is  for  our  use. 

This  is  the  other  tryst  our  Lover-Lord  makes 
with  us.  "  Xo .'  I  am  loith  you  all  the  days, 
sunny  days  and  shadowy,  bright  days  and  dark, 
all  the  days  clear  to  the  end."  This  is  the  sacred 
tryst  He  has  made  with  us. 

And  He  Jceeps  the  tryst.  We  may  count  on 
Him,  And  as  we  do  we  shall  cast  nets  into  hope- 
less waters  and  get  a  great  haul.  We  shall  find 
His  presence  anticipating  all  our  personal  needs. 
We  shall  rejoice  to  serve  and — if  so  it  prove  to  be 


256      Quiet  Talks  on  John's  Gospel 

— to  suffer  for  the  One  we  love  with  tenderest 
devotion. 

And  we  shall  look  eagerly  forward  to  seeing 
Him  who  is  always  in  touch  with  us,  here  and 
now,  to  seeing  Him  with  these  outer  eyes  of  ours, 
coming  in  glory  with  His  resistless  power,  to  make 
gome  blessed  changes. 


PRINTED  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES  OF  AMERICA 


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